US war live: Hegseth erupts after conflict is dubbed a ‘quagmire’ by lawmaker during Congressional hearing

The war in Iran has so far cost an estimated $25 billion, a Pentagon official told the hearing
Embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth erupted at a California Democrat who dubbed the war in Iran a “quagmire” during a congressional hearing into the conflict, which has so far cost an estimated $25 billion.

Hegseth is being questioned under oath by the House Armed Services Committee alongside Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen.

Dan Caine, as negotiations to end President Donald Trump’s war remain at an impasse.

California Democrat John Garamendi said Trump has got himself “stuck in the quagmire of another war in the Middle East” and accused Hegseth of “misleading” the American people.

“Shame on you for that statement,” Hegseth said.

“Don't say, I support the troops on one hand, and then a two month mission is a quagmire...Who you cheering for here?

Who you pulling for?”
The war, which Hegseth pledged in early March would likely last between “four to five weeks,” has now entered its eighth week.

Democratic Rep.

Jason Crow of Colorado, who was one of six Democrats who put out a video telling U.S.

servicemembers that they can refuse illegal orders, told The Independent that he was going to ask Hegseth about “the corruption and the rank mismanagement of the department.”
Briefing: What we know on 61st day of Iran war
They include Army Chief of Staff General Randy George and Navy Secretary John Phelan.

“We had a huge bipartisan majority here that had confidence in the Chief of Staff and the Secretary of Navy.

I would just point out it may be constitutionally right ...

but it doesn’t make it right or wise.”
Hegseth asked why he fired Gen.

Randy George
Asked about why he fired Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, Hegseth accused him of having "destroyed the culture" of the Pentagon and says the Defense Department "needed new leadership."
Rep.

Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania was not impressed, telling him: "You have no way of explaining why you fired one of the most decorated and remarkable men."
“Your answer is a very immature way of responding to my request." she added.

Watch: Khanna says Hegseth "betrayed" Trump voters with Iran war
Democrat Ro Khanna says Hegseth doesn't know what gas or food costs
California Democrat Ro Khanna quizzed Pete Hegseth about numbers and claimed the defense secretary doesn’t know the cost of basics like gas or food.

Khanna: Will you acknowledge that there were 970 pounds of uranium enriched after Trump tore up the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action?

Hegseth: The JCPOA was a terrible deal that allowed Iran a path to a nuclear bomb.

Khanna: You deal with vague platitudes.

I'm asking you about numbers.

Like you don't know what gas costs, you don't know what food costs, you don't know what the operation costs.

You know, I get sound bites, but how about numbers?

Do you know how much the enriched uranium was after you ripped up the JCPOA?

Khanna: That type of stuff worked, and then you started to lose the people that you campaigned you wanted to be for because you said you won't get us into bad wars.

You said you would bring down the prices.

You know what I'm sad for?

I'm sad for all the people who voted for Trump.

I'm sad for them because you betrayed them.

You betrayed a lot of that MAGA base.

Pictured: Democrats roast Hegseth at hearing as defense sec hits back
Democrats are on the attack and Hegseth is fighting back, as these pictures show.

The hearing got heated as Democrats grilled the defense secretary about his leadership at the Pentagon.

'You were incompetent then, you're incompetent now': Democrat attacks Hegseth over 'incompetency'
Democratic Rep.

Salud Carbajal attacked Pete Hegseth and said he was “incompetent” when it was his turn to quiz the defense secretary.

“Mr.

Hegseth, I stand by what I said last time you were here.

You were incompetent then, you're incompetent now,” he said.

'Do you call Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz winning?'
Moulton asked Hegseth whether closing the Strait of Hormuz constitutes winning.

“Well, I would say the blockade that we hold that doesn't allow anything to come in or out of Iranian ports,” Hegseth said.

“So we've blockaded their blockades,” Moulton replied.

“They blockaded us and then we blockaded their blockade.

That's like saying ‘Tag, you're it.’ Or, you know, if President Madison said, well, ‘the British just burned down Washington, but don't worry, we're going to burn it down as well.’”
Hegseth appeared to smirk at this point in the exchange.

Democrat Seth Moulton lays into Hegseth over whether he advised Trump to go to war
Massachusetts Democrat Seth Moulton is now tearing into Secretary Pete Hegseth over whether he advised President Donald Trump to go to war with Iran.

“Did you advise the president that we should attack Iran?” Moulton asked.

“We never talk about what we would advise the President to do or not,” Hegseth replied.

“ Are you afraid to take ownership of this?” Moulton pressed.

“Do you think it was a good idea?”
Hegseth said the war has been “an astounding military success.”
Rep.

Jason Crow says he plans to ask Hegseth about 'rank mismanagement' of the department
Rep.

Jason Crow (D-Colo.) previewed what he would ask Hegseth during his hearing.

Crow was one of the six Democrats who put out a video telling U.S.

servicemembers that they can refuse illegal orders.

“I'm going to focus on the corruption and the rank mismanagement of the department,” Crow, a retired Army Ranger, told The Independent .

“There's a lot to talk about from the failing more in Iran which Americans do not want to this bloated defense budget and their inability to pass an audit and even account for the money that we're giving them.”
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