Hegseth suffered a similar ordeal<\/a> a day earlier in front of the House Armed Services Committee, losing his cool when it was suggested that Operation Epic Fury had already entrapped the U.S. in the sort of \u201cquagmire\u201d previously experienced in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam.<\/p>\n The secretary hit out at \u201cdefeatist Democrats\u201d for failing to support the latest American military intervention in the Middle East, insisted any cost incurred by the conflict was worth it to stamp out the prospect of Iran<\/a> acquiring a nuclear weapon, and praised President Donald Trump<\/a> repeatedly for having the \u201ccourage\u201d to embark on the endeavor.<\/p>\n Arriving in the upper chamber of Congress for the sequel, Hegseth saw his opening statement interrupted by a protester who accused him of being a war criminal<\/a> before sparring with opposition senators on everything from the likely price tag of the conflict, its probable duration, and the prospect of sending troops to polling stations during November\u2019s midterms elections.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a look at some of the key exchanges on another trying day for the former Fox News host turned Pentagon chief.<\/p>\n Slotkin presses Hegseth on use of military in midterms<\/p>\n Hegseth came up against a number of Democratic senators, including Elissa Slotkin<\/a> of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, whom the administration tried and failed to prosecute after they appeared in a video last year reminding service members it is their duty to reject any illegal orders received from superiors<\/a>.<\/p>\n Slotkin used her time to ask the secretary whether he would obey an order from the president to use troops to \u201cseize ballots or voting machines\u201d<\/a> during the midterms.<\/p>\n \u201cThe federal government has never put the uniform military at our polls,\u201d she said. \u201cWill you stand up for the Constitution and say no, or will you salute and do his bidding?\u201d<\/p>\n Hegseth attempted to evade the question by calling it \u201canother gotcha hypothetical.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s not a hypothetical\u2026 You give that answer all the time,\u201d Slotkin countered. \u201cYou and I have done this dance before, get over it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re the guy here in the seat. It\u2019s not hypothetical. Tell the American people. Will you deploy the uniform military to our polls to collect voter rolls or machines?\u201d<\/p>\n Hegseth accused her of \u201cperforming for cable news\u201d before the panel\u2019s chairman, Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, pushed him to answer.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never been ordered to do anything illegal, and I won\u2019t, that goes without saying,\u201d he finally answered.<\/p>\n Blumenthal disputes Pentagon\u2019s cost estimate<\/p>\n Hegseth was joined at the hearing by General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Pentagon\u2019s acting chief financial officer, Jules Hurst III, and a figure raised by the latter a day earlier proved contentious.<\/p>\n Hurst had told the equivalent House committee Wednesday that the war had cost $25 billion to date, a sum Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal challenged him on, saying the Pentagon\u2019s estimate was \u201cwell below the actual cost based on everything that I\u2019ve heard, everything available to us in various kinds of settings, and I\u2019m going to ask for a more accurate assessment.\u201d<\/p>\n When Hurst could not be specific on whether the figure included the cost of damage done to U.S. assets in the region by Iran\u2019s retaliatory strikes, Blumenthal reminded him: \u201cYou\u2019re here to ask for appropriations, and I would like a more accurate estimate of what has been done that will require replacement and renovation, as well as the other costs.\u201d<\/p>\n He suggested the number was \u201cprobably less than half, maybe less than a quarter of the total cost of war, which is the reason why the supplemental request is much higher.\u201d<\/p>\n Hegseth argued, as he had a day earlier, that the value of defanging Iran was far more significant than any cost that might be incurred by the American taxpayer.<\/p>\n Kaine rejects secretary\u2019s stopped clock contention<\/p>\n Another disputed issue related to Iran was precisely when the president\u2019s 60-day deadline expires, after which he must withdraw American forces or ask Congress for a 30-day extension.<\/p>\n The administration informed the legislative branch about the conflict via letter on March 2, which means that, under the War Powers Act, it must begin to wind down operations from Friday without approval for continuation being granted.<\/p>\n Hegseth, however, contested that interpretation by arguing that Trump declaring a ceasefire on April 7 had stopped the clock.<\/p>\n Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine hit back, saying he did not accept the secretary\u2019s position: \u201cI think the 60 days runs maybe tomorrow, and it\u2019s going to pose a really important legal question for the administration. <\/p>\n \u201cWe have serious constitutional concerns, and we don\u2019t want to layer those with additional statutory concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n Warren digs deep on insider trading<\/p>\n Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren<\/a> confronted Hegseth over allegations that leaks from the administration were enabling insiders to enrich themselves by betting on future events<\/a> using apps like Polymarket and Kalshi, pointing to a series of \u201cperfectly timed spikes in trading activity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt looks like insiders have been making out like bandits using secret information about the war,\u201d Warren said. \u201cDo you have a story for why just minutes before there\u2019s an announcement, there\u2019s a surge in trading activity?\u201d<\/p>\n The secretary said he was \u201cmore focused on doing my job and ensuring we execute properly\u201d and \u201cwhat happens in markets\u2026 is not something we\u2019re involved in.\u201d <\/p>\n![\"Pete](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2273284277.jpg\")
Pete Hegseth testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday over the Iran war, a hearing that proved just as heated as his appearance before the House a day earlier (Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Michigan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026-04-30T173445Z_153813149_RC2TZKAA0WSG_RTRMADP_3_IRAN-CRISIS-USA-CONGRESS.jpg\")
Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin asks Hegseth whether he would follow a direction from President Donald Trump to deploy the military during November\u2019s midterms elections (Reuters)<\/p>\n![\"Connecticut](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2273284280.jpg\")
Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal disputes the cost of the conflict (Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Massachusetts](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026-04-30T171046Z_948011773_RC2SZKA2IFMW_RTRMADP_3_IRAN-CRISIS-USA-CONGRESS.jpg\")
Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren seeks answers about military personnel allegedly using betting apps to profit from insider knowledge (Reuters)<\/p>\n