Hegseth turns tables on Dems as sparks fly during hearing clash: 'I put this on you'
Hegseth Defends Iran War Strategy at Heated Senate Hearing as Deadline Approaches
By Maine News Now Staff
WAR DEPARTMENT — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced sharp criticism from Democratic senators Tuesday during a contentious congressional hearing, with lawmakers challenging the administration's handling of the ongoing conflict with Iran and pressing for details on how the war might end.
Michigan Democrat Gary Peters led the charge against Hegseth, accusing the administration of failing to present a coherent strategy for victory in the Iran conflict that began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28—a strike that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader.
"You don't have a strategy, you don't have a long-term plan to actually win this war," Peters told Hegseth. "The men and women serving will be able to do it, but they need leadership. When will you show leadership?"
The war, now in its 80th day, centers on control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical Middle Eastern waterway through which a substantial portion of the world's oil trade passes. Despite administration promises to conclude the conflict within 60 days and repeated attempts at negotiation, American forces remain engaged with Tehran.
Hegseth, however, turned the criticism back on Democrats, arguing that congressional hesitation to fully fund the Defense Department had hampered military efforts. He accused senators of allowing partisan disagreements over the administration's border policies to spill into defense appropriations.
"When will you show leadership and stand up to your fellow Democrats who won't fund the troops?" Hegseth responded. "You want to stand up here and talk about the troops? You won't show any political courage to actually fund our department because you have Trump derangement syndrome and you won't commit to anything meaningful. So, I put this on you, senator."
The confrontation comes as Congress wrestles with the department's budget requests for fiscal year 2027. The administration has proposed a record $1.5 trillion defense budget—a significant jump from the approximately $900 billion allocated for 2026.
Hegseth also took aim at the previous Biden administration, suggesting its leadership had neglected critical military capabilities. He specifically cited the development of hypersonic missiles—a technology China achieved in 2019—as an area where the prior administration failed to act.
"The Biden administration ignored hypersonics. They just decided to pretend like that technology didn't exist and we shouldn't invest in it," Hegseth said. "I don't know what Lloyd Austin did for four years. The amount of neglect, the amount of stale thinking and bureaucracy—it was staggering when we took over."
Despite the heated exchanges, there were signs of potential progress. President Trump indicated earlier that a deal with Iran was "largely negotiated," raising hopes that the 84-day conflict might be approaching resolution. The war's cost has already reached an estimated $80 billion—more than double what Congress was initially told to expect.
Lawmakers must now decide whether to approve the administration's substantial budget request while continuing to monitor developments in diplomatic efforts to bring the Iran conflict to a close.