Pentagon and pizza? Conspiracy theories spiral as Pete Hegseth suggests a plan to expose the trend

The Pentagon Pizza Report is an X account that tracks pizza-ordering activity near the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters, under the premise that it predicts Pentagon planning. Now, Trump’s “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth has weighed in, joking that he might “throw everybody off balance” by ordering extra pies.

The Pentagon Pizza Report works by scanning publicly available data — particularly Google Maps’ “popular times” and foot-traffic insights at pizza shops near the Pentagon — and then highlights unusual spikes in activity. According to the account, if more people are gathering at pizza spots late into the evening or if there is a surge in deliveries, something like extended military planning or a potential global event might be upcoming.

In June 2025, for example, the account highlighted a noticeable spike in activity at several pizzerias near the Pentagon shortly before reports emerged that Israel had launched airstrikes on Iranian targets — likely a coincidence, but it still brought the quirky tracker into the viral spotlight.

It’s hard to say how seriously some followers take the account, with typical comments ranging from, “The Pentagon Pizza Index Historically Spiked Right before the 1989 Panama Invasion and the 1990 Gulf War when the CIA Ordered 21 Pizzas!” But then also, “All I’ve learned this month is I need to open a pizza restaurant by the Pentagon,” and “Pizza traffic is not an Intelligence Source, it’s a Coincidence-based Indicator at Best ⚠️.”

Hegseth’s Pentagon Pizza Report Plot

During a February 22 appearance on Fox News’ Sunday Briefing, correspondent Peter Doocy asked Secretary Hegseth about the account and whether the Pentagon ever took it seriously. Hegseth acknowledged awareness of the account’s popularity and method, but then took a lighter tone. Asked if defense officials might “just go to the cafeteria” to avoid triggering the tracker, Hegseth responded:

I’m aware of that account. I hadn’t thought of just going to the cafeteria. I’ve thought of just ordering lots of pizza on random nights just to throw everybody off. Some Friday night when you see a bunch of Domino’s orders, it might just be me on an app, throwing the whole system off. So we keep everybody off balance.”

Hegseth’s lighthearted remarks about gaming the pizza tracker come amid more serious communications controversies. In 2025, reports revealed that Hegseth had shared sensitive U.S. military planning details in a Signal group chat that included individuals outside official Defense Department channels, including The Atlantic editor.

Reddit response noted the Secretary of War’s focus on the Pentagon Pizza Report, even if he was joking. One comment said, “Incredible strategy. I’m glad he’s the one in charge.” Others added, “I want this clown show to be over. It’s not even ‘so stupid that it’s kind of funny’ at this point,” and “Gee, it’s as if wasting tax dollars doesn’t matter anymore?”