Senator Peters tells Defense Secretary Hegseth: 'You, sir, are the failure' over Iran war strategy

Senator Gary Peters, D-Mich., directly challenged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a Tuesday hearing, stating, "You, sir, are the failure," regarding the U.S. strategy in the ongoing war with Iran. Peters pointed to the closed Strait of Hormuz, which was open before the conflict, and tragically, the continued deaths of American service members as evidence of a lack of a winning strategy.

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The Strait of Hormuz is still closed, reminding everybody it was open before the war. Prices were lower for everybody until the war, … and of course, tragically, people, service members, our warfighters who we care deeply about, are still dying. So what's different?

Hegseth rebuked Peters' assessment, calling it "reckless" and stating it "smears the sacrifice" of troops. He urged Peters to support funding for the Department of Defense, for which the Trump administration has requested $87.6 billion in supplemental funds. Peters countered that the issue is not money but leadership and a clear understanding of how to win.

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The characterization of this war as a failure is reckless. It smears the sacrifice that our troops are making on behalf of the American people to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.

The exchange occurred as the U.S. entered its tenth consecutive night of strikes against Iran. The conflict has resulted in at least three American service member deaths in recent days, and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, contributing to rising U.S. gas prices. Hegseth argued that the requested funds are an "urgent, necessary" injection of money for the military.

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You, sir, are the failure, not the men and women who are on that front line, not the men and women who hold up their honor with distinction. If there's a lack of a winning strategy, they're in harm's way, their leaders have failed them, and that's what's happening.