In Hostile Hearing, Democrats Accuse Hegseth of Misleading Public on Iran War Progress

Summary: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced a very tough time in Congress recently. Lawmakers grilled him about the ongoing 60-day war with Iran. Democrats accused him and President Trump of not telling the truth about why the war started and how much it truly costs.

The Pentagon admits the conflict has cost $25 billion so far and claimed 13 American lives. Instead of giving clear answers about when the war will end or what victory looks like, Hegseth called his critics unpatriotic and defeatist. Lawmakers are also upset because the goals of the war remain murky, and Hegseth recently fired several top military leaders without giving a detailed explanation.

For more details, see TIME at time.com/article/2026/04/29/in-hostile-hearing-democrats-accuse-hegseth-of-misleading-trump-and-country-on-iran-war-progress/ (opens in new tab)