The U.S. military was charged $4,361 for a half inch metal pin that costs $46.
Why? Defense contractors—with ties to private equity—are raking in excess profits.
Instead of cracking down, Trump's DoD is inviting private equity to be MORE involved in our national defense. pic.twitter.com/uIAAz2eNTw
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) June 22, 2026
Senator Warren posted video claiming US military paid $4,361 for half-inch metal drive pin that should cost only $46.
This exact example comes from 2018-2019 TransDigm contract reviewed in Pentagon Inspector General audit.
Audit found potential excess profits on many spare parts sold to DoD by TransDigm.
TransDigm is defense contractor with private equity ties and history of sole-source deals.
Warren blames current Trump DoD for inviting more private equity involvement instead of cracking down.
Issue of overpriced parts is old and bipartisan.
Similar scandals happened under Obama, Biden, and earlier admins too.