Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth clashed forcefully with Democratic senators at a hearing on Tuesday, defending the administration’s handling of the war with Iran. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., raised skepticism with Hegseth, pressing him on whether the administration had a plan to bring the protracted war with Iran to a close.

Leadership and Strategy

Peters accused Hegseth of leaving the country in a worse position than when the war began. Hegseth fired back, pointing out that Democrats had allowed hesitations about the administration’s border enforcement policies to also extend to funding the government, including servicemembers.

Hegseth criticized Democrats for not showing leadership and standing up to their fellow Democrats who won’t fund the troops. He also mentioned that the hesitance Democrats have shown to the U.S. armed forces has stretched from before Trump’s time in office.

Context and Implications

The confrontation at the hearings comes as lawmakers weigh the Department of Defense’s spending needs for 2027. The administration has requested a record-breaking $1.5 trillion budget, a sizeable increase over the roughly $900 billion Congress allocated for 2026.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.