Senator Jack Reed says at hearing that defense secretary failed to give Trump accurate picture of war in IranUS politics live â latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailPete Hegseth has failed to give Donald Trump an accurate picture of the war on Iran while resorting to âdangerously exaggeratedâ statements to create an inaccurate picture of a US military triumph, a senior Democrat told a Capitol Hill hearing on Thursday.Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate armed services committee, told Hegseth, the defense secretary, that far from victory, US citizens were having to bear the cost of a war they did not support in the form of increased fuel prices. Continue reading...
⢠House Democrats skeptically questioned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for the first time since the Iran war began, pressing on strategy and costs during an April 29 hearing.
⢠One Democrat accused Hegseth of partisanship, quoting his prior statements back at him in a heated exchange.
⢠The confrontation highlights partisan divides over the war's economic toll and Trump's foreign policy amid plunging approval ratings.
Defense secretary to be quizzed by lawmakers on Senate armed services committee after bad-tempered session in House yesterdaySign up for the Breaking News US email Hello and welcome to our US politics coverage as Pete Hegseth faces a second day of grilling from Democrats on Capitol Hill, with senators getting their first opportunity to confront or praise the Pentagon chief over his handling of the Iran war.The defense secretary battled with Democrats - and some Republicans - yesterday during a nearly six-hour House armed services committee hearing, where he faced questioning over the warâs costs in dollars, lives and the diminishing stockpiles of critical weapons.US economic growth likely accelerated in the first quarter on a rebound in government spending after a crippling government shutdown. The anticipated increase in gross domestic product last quarter also would reflect robust growth in business investment in equipment, fueled by an artificial intelligence spending boom and the building of data centers underpinning the technology. Figures will be out at 8.30am ETKing Charles and Queen Camilla are expected to make stops in Virginia before wrapping up their US visit back at the White House on Thursday with a formal farewell from Trump. Charles will then travel solo to Bermuda on his first visit as king to a British overseas territory.Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said that Democrats will once again force a vote on a war powers resolution on Iran, the sixth time in recent weeks. âThis week, Democrats will force a vote on our war powers resolution for the sixth time. Weâll continue to force votes every week as this war rages on,â Schumer said from the Senate floor.The House approved a three-year reauthorization of a divisive US surveillance program ahead of its expiration on Friday, adding new oversight measures but stopping short of the warrant requirement that critics have demanded. A large group of Democrats joined most Republicans in passing the bill by a 235-191 vote.Trump once again reinforced his feelings towards James Comey in a social media post. Commenting on the accusation that the former FBI director called for him to be killed after posting a picture of some seashells in a pattern showing 86 47, Trump wrote: ââ86â is a mob term for âkill him.â They say 86 him! 86 47 means âkill President Trump.âJames Comey, who is a Dirty Cop, one of the worst, knows this full well! EIGHT MILES OUT, SIX FEET DOWN! Didnât he also lie to the FBI about this??? I think so!â. Trump is the 47th president of the US.The US supreme courtâs conservative majority struck down a major element of the Voting Rights Act which protects against racial discrimination in redistricting, in a ruling that paves the way for aggressive gerrymandering in states across the nation that could affect elections for years to come.The Florida Legislature approved a new congressional map intended to maximize Republicansâ advantage in the state as part of the national redistricting battle that Republicans launched ahead of this yearâs midterms.Outgoing Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said he will stay on as a central bank governor when his leadership term ends in just over two weeks.The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that three anti-ICE protesters have been charged with allegedly assaulting Savannah Hernandez, a rightwing video journalist who was shoved to the ground during a skirmish with three members of a family outside an immigration detention facility in St Paul Minnesota this month. Continue reading...
As his defense secretary testified before House committee, Trump posted AI-generated image of himself with a weapon and a caption saying âNO MORE MR. NICE GUYâPete Hegseth has denied that the US-Israel war on Iran is âa quagmireâ and claimed critics of the operation posed a greater threat to the US than Iran itself, as he came under pressure to set out Washingtonâs strategy for the conflict.Appearing before the House armed services committee alongside Gen Dan Caine, chair of the joint chiefs of staff, the US defense secretary asked lawmakers to approve a $1.5tn budget in military spending â and then described some of them as âthe biggest challengeâ to the war effort. Continue reading...
The defense secretary said his prayer drew on Ezekiel, but wording closely matches Quentin Tarantino dialogueIt was perhaps inevitable that a braggadocious Christian nationalist defense secretary elevated from his role as a weekend Fox News television host would pluck a fake Bible verse from a violent Hollywood blockbuster and present it at a Pentagon prayer session to rally the troops for the âholy warâ in Iran.Certainly among a glut of stories swirling around Pete Hegseth this week, including articles of impeachment brought against him by a group of ambitious Democratic lawmakers, the bizarre allegation that the Bible-thumping Hegseth was passing off a fire-and-brimstone script by Quentin Tarantino, an Oscar-winning director, as the word of the Lord was far too compelling to ignore. Continue reading...
US defense secretary said Iranâs energy infrastructure is ânot destroyed yetâ at presser where he also lambasted the mediaIranâs energy infrastructure is ânot destroyed yetâ and the US is âlocked and loadedâ to finish the job, Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, said on Thursday as he called many of the press corps gathered the moral equivalent of the Pharisees who conspired to destroy Jesus Christ.Hegsethâs comments from the Pentagon podium came as a naval blockade of Iranian ports began this week and he called on Tehran to accept a nuclear deal or face consequences for its remaining infrastructure, power generation and energy industry. Continue reading...
Accusations refer to attack on Iran without congressional authorization and strikes on alleged drug smuggling boatsHouse Democrats filed six articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, accusing the defense security of âhigh crimes and misdemeanorsâ, in reference to the attack on Iran without congressional authorization and deadly strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats, among other official acts.The move comes as the Trump administration faces mounting scrutiny over recent foreign action, particularly the war with Iran. Continue reading...
Richard Barrons backs George Robertson and says UK forces âtoo small and undernourished for the world that we now live inâGood morning. When Keir Starmer gave evidence to the Commons liaison committee before the Easter recess, and when he made a statement to MPs yesterday on the first day after it was over, he was repeatedly asked when the government will publish its defence investment plan (DIP). On both occasions, he could not give a timetable and would just say it would be published as soon as it was ready.His critics are furious because the DIP, a 10-year plan explaining how the government will fund its commitment to get defence spending up to 3% of GDP by the end of the next parliament, with total national security spending reaching 5% of GDP by 2035, was due to be published last autumn.There is a corrosive complacency today in Britainâs political leadership. Lip service is paid to the risks, the threats, the bright red signals of danger â but even a promised national conversation about defence canât be started.We are underprepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack. We are not safe . . . Britainâs national security and safety is in peril.Like many others I hung my head in sorrow. But I couldnât argue with him because although the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force and the army are, in their bones, outstanding institutions, they are simply too small and too undernourished to deal with the world that we we now live in. And the review says this. Continue reading...
Defense secretary spoke to reporters in first press briefing since Trump announced ceasefire deal after 40 days of warAfter 40 days and 40 nights of war, Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, on Wednesday pointed to divine providence while telling reporters that Iranâs weapons factories had been reduced to rubble, its military rendered ineffective for years and its supreme leader left wounded and disfigured, all for a temporary ceasefire.âIran begged for this ceasefire, and we all know it,â Hegseth said Wednesday morning at the Pentagonâs first press briefing since Donald Trump announced a two-week pause in hostilities Tuesday night. âOperation Epic Fury decimated Iranâs military and rendered it combat ineffective for years to come.â Continue reading...
Defense secretary signs memo letting members request permission to carry firearms on military installationsDefense secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Thursday that would allow military service members to request permission to carry their personal firearms on military installations such as bases, naval yards and recruitment centers, claiming the new policy will allow soldiers and other military personnel to defend themselves in case of an attack.While the full text of the memo has yet to be made public, it appears to loosen the current policy that allows for personnel to get permission to have their weapons on base on a case-by-case basis, and requires that they are registered with the baseâs authorities and stored in a secure device. Continue reading...
Pentagon announces Randy George retiring from role as US army chief of staff, âeffective immediatelyâSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxRandy George, the US armyâs top officer, is stepping down from his role after defense secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly requested that he retire immediately. The Pentagon confirmed on Thursday that George, who had been serving as the armyâs 41st chief of staff, is retiring.âGeneral Randy A. George will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately. The Department of War is grateful for General Georgeâs decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement,â Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement shared on social media. Continue reading...
Pentagon chiefâs remarks come after US army said crews suspended amid investigation into incident in TennesseeDefense secretary Pete Hegseth said the crews of two US army AH-64 Apache helicopters that hovered next to the singer Kid Rockâs swimming pool while he clapped and saluted on Saturday are no longer suspended.âNo punishment. No investigation,â Hegseth wrote on social media. âCarry on, patriots.â Continue reading...
US defense secretary axed the four officersâ names from list to become one-star generals, the New York Times reportsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxPete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, is reportedly attempting to block the military promotion of four officers â two women and two Black men â to become one-star generals.The remaining promotion list includes about three dozen officers, most of whom are white men, though a few women and Black officers are still included, according to the New York Times. Continue reading...
Remarks come after defense secretary calls for changes to militaryâs chaplain corps, which had been âwatered downâThe defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, prayed during a religious service at the Pentagon that there be âoverwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercyâ.The Christian worship service, held on Wednesday before military and civilian workers at the Pentagon, was Hegsethâs first since the Iran war began, the Associated Press reported. Continue reading...
Senate nominee in Texas James Talarico says âChristian nationalism killsâ in response to Brooks Potteiger remarkJames Talarico, the Texas Democratic state representative and Presbyterian seminarian, has said he forgives Pete Hegsethâs pastor for praying for his death. On Tuesday, Texasâs popular Democratic nominee for a US Senate seat pushed back against comments from Brooks Potteiger, the defense secretaryâs closest spiritual adviser, who said: âWe want him crucified with Christ.âTalarico said on X: âJesus loves. Christian Nationalism kills. You may pray for my death, Pastor, but I still love you. I love you more than you could ever hate me.â Continue reading...
⢠On March 20, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the Pentagon's request for $200 billion in extra funding, stating 'it takes money to kill bad guys'.
⢠The request supports ongoing U.S. offensives, including jet patrols and helicopter strikes against Iranian forces in key waterways.
⢠Funding comes amid surging oil prices from Iranian attacks on facilities, prompting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to propose lifting sanctions on Iranian oil.
Defense secretary had said relatives of service members killed in refueling tanker crash told him âdo not stop until the job is doneâSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe father of a US military member killed in the Iran war has contradicted Pete Hegsethâs claim that bereaved families urged him to âfinishâ the job in the Middle East.Hegseth, the defense secretary and a former weekend Fox News host, told reporters at a Pentagon briefing on Thursday that he had spoken with relatives of all six service members killed in last weekâs refueling tanker crash during a âdignified transferâ of their remains at Delawareâs Dover air force station the night before. Continue reading...
US defense secretary suggests Thursday will be âlargest strike package yet ⌠death and destruction from aboveâ Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said on Thursday there is no âtimeframeâ for ending the US war against Iran and did not deny reports that the Pentagon could seek an extra $200bn in taxpayer funding.The military US-Israeli offensive began three weeks ago and continues to widen. Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to âmassively blow upâ the worldâs biggest gasfield after Israeli strikes on the Iranian site prompted Tehran to escalate strikes on oil and gas facilities around the Persian Gulf. Continue reading...
Defense secretary appeared to endorse killing prisoners, a violation of international law, during press briefingA top Democratic lawmaker with a military background has reacted strongly to US defense secretary Pete Hegsethâs call for âno quarterâ for US enemies during a Friday press briefing at the Pentagon, calling such an order â if followed by troops â a potential violation of international law.The US senator Mark Kelly, of Arizona, posted on Friday on X that ââNo quarterâ isnât some wanna be tough guy line â it means something. An order to give no quarter would mean to take no prisoners and kill them instead.â Continue reading...
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated Friday that Iran is exercising 'sheer desperation' in counterattacks against the US and Israel, following the crash of a refueling plane in western Iraq that killed six airmen. The incident raises the total US troop deaths in the operation to 13, with officials confirming no hostile fire involvement. Hegseth's remarks precede reports of 2,500 Marines and a warship deploying to the region, signaling escalation. Analysts warn of prolonged conflict risks amid rising casualties and regional instability.
