Hegseth Defends Iran War Costs, Democrats Push Back

0:00On April 29, Defense Secretary Pete Hakesf faced tough questions from Democrats on Capitol Hill about the ongoing war with Iran. The conflict, now over 60 days since the kicked-off late February, has already caused $25 billion according to Pentagon estimates. Lawmakers zeroed in on President Trump's past claim that Iran's nuclear sites were completely wiped out. Earlier this week, during a hearing on the 2027 fiscal year budget, Hakesf defended the strikes from Operation Midnight Hammer back in. June of last year, he explained that B-2 bombers took out key facilities, but Iran kept pushing its nuclear goals and held onto thousands of missiles, justifying the full-scale response. Democrats like Adam Smith from Washington pushed back hard, arguing the war left things unchanged from before, and questioned starting it after the. Sites were already hit. Others called it a needless choice that's hurting politically and economically. Hakesf fired back, saying the critics are too caught up in their dislike for Trump

1:00to see the real threats. The session highlighted rising tensions as the administration eyes a massive defense budget boost. This back and forth shows how divided things are on the war's path forward, with cost mounting and strategies under fire.