A Facebook post claiming that the Pentagon spent $600 million on sushi and the Air Force bought paper coffee cups for $1,280 each was found to be false. The statement was attributed to Elon Musk and was supposedly discovered by his Department of Government Efficiency. However, this claim originated from a parody account and there is no evidence to support the outrageous spending allegations.
The misinformation spread widely on social media platforms, but there is no record of such spending by government agencies. In fact, no legitimate media outlets have reported on these claims. The parody account @iamnot_elon posted a similar statement on Jan. 24, which was nearly identical to the one shared on Facebook.
This incident highlights the issue of “stolen satire,” where satirical content is reposted as genuine news, misleading readers in the process. USA TODAY has previously debunked false claims about Elon Musk, showing that he did not ban LGBTQ+ Pride on X, threaten to suspend critics of the Trump administration, or compare a political movement to Nazi Germany.
Overall, the claim that federal agencies spent exorbitant amounts of money on food and supplies is false and based on a fabricated statement attributed to Elon Musk. It serves as a reminder to always fact-check information before sharing it online.
