"You are the loser!" Iran war burns into Congress as US Defense Secretary and Senator clash

A fiery confrontation erupted in the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth clashed with Democratic Senator Gary Peters over the ongoing conflict with Iran. The hearing, Hegseth's first congressional appearance since the resumption of hostilities, focused on the administration's request for $67 billion in additional funding for the war.

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Secretary Hegseth, you have failed to win this war, and now you are coming back to Congress asking for nearly $70 billion in additional funding.

Senator Peters directly challenged Hegseth, citing the loss of 17 American soldiers, the continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and the failure to fully destroy Iranian missiles as evidence of the government's lack of a winning strategy. Peters accused Hegseth of being a "loser" and demanded that the Defense Secretary justify the substantial funding request, framing it as a "blank check" for a failed effort. "You are asking the American people for a blank check, because the efforts of the Trump administration to win this war so far have failed again," Peters stated.

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It is you, you are the loser, not the men and women on the front lines.

Hegseth vehemently rejected Peters's assessment, labeling the characterization of the operation as a failure as "reckless and irresponsible." He accused Peters and other Democrats of hypocrisy for criticizing the war while simultaneously claiming to support the troops. Hegseth retorted, "It is you, you are the loser, not the men and women on the front lines," and blamed Democratic "political cowardice" for the war's stalemate.

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Characterizing this operation as a failure is reckless and irresponsible.

Peters countered that the core issue was not the availability of funds but rather "leadership and knowing how to win a war." He argued that a lack of a clear strategy puts frontline soldiers at risk. Responding to questions about Iran's military capabilities, Hegseth conceded that Iran "undoubtedly" still possesses military power but asserted it is in its most vulnerable state in decades. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, acknowledged the limitations of air power in achieving U.S. military objectives against Iran, stating, "Air power has its limits," and that Iran will "continue to be a challenge."

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The problem is not money, but leadership and knowing how to win a war.