Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday charged that the greatest threat to military success in Iran is Democrats and Republicans who have raised questions about the operation or criticized the reasoning and execution of the war.
Hegseth’s adversarial approach to Hill lawmakers was a stunning choice. It set the tone for a congressional hearing focused on the Pentagon’s $1.5 billion budget request that also served as the defense secretary’s first public appearance before Congress since the start of the war on Feb. 28.
“The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” Hegseth told the House Armed Services Committee.
