WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used his Citibank authorities journey card to cowl navy payroll final week, in line with senior Pentagon officers who described the transfer as “creatively illegal.”
“Apparently Citibank sent a letter to President Trump stating that Secretary Hegseth is now delinquent in the amount of eight billion dollars,” mentioned White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “Papa Bear was pissed.”
Government journey playing cards are supposed to cowl bills throughout official journey — to not bankroll the Department of Defense throughout a shutdown, in line with a 59-page coverage doc that protection finance officers are required to fake they’ve learn.
Duffel Blog tried to learn the regulation however blacked out someplace round paragraph 2.4.1.6.7 and awakened coated in Skilcraft ink.
The alleged misuse got here to gentle throughout the Global Training Meeting, the place U.S. readiness is in contrast towards different nations in a color-coded PowerPoint presentation initially created in 1998.
“Denmark? Green across the board. Kenya? Green across the board. Then they get to America and it’s a giant red dot for government travel card payments!” Trump reportedly shouted. “Somebody warn me before I walk into a meeting looking like a broke-ass general!”
All navy members are required to finish annual coaching on the suitable utilization of presidency journey playing cards. As a former Army National Guard officer, Pete Hegseth ought to have carried out this coaching a number of instances, except his Minnesota chain of command was pencil-whipping it.