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Democratic Sen. Gary Peters (Mich.) on Tuesday said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was a “failure” and lacked the leadership necessary to win the Iran war.
“Secretary Haig said, despite your failure to win this war, you are back now before Congress asking for almost $70 billion in additional funding,” Peters said in an appropriations hearing where Hegseth and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine were testifying.
“You’re asking the American people for a blank check, because once again, the Trump administration’s efforts have been an utter and complete failure to win this war to this point,” he added.
Peters said the loss of 17 service members, including the two recently killed in Jordan showcase a losing strategy. He also noted the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and lack of complete destruction of Iran’s missiles contradict statements from administration officials.
“I think your characterization of this incredible effort as a failure is reckless and I think it’s irresponsible and I think it smears the sacrifice of the troops that are out there making on behalf of the American people to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon,” Hegseth said in response to Peters.
“Shame on you and others who call this a quagmire and a failure and then you want to turn around and say you support the warfighter. Either you do or you don’t,” the defense secretary exclaimed, citing a shortage of funds needed to claim victory in the war.
Peters rejected Hegseth’s response.
“You, sir, are the failure. Not the men and women who are on that front line,” Peters fired back. “Not the men and women who hold up their honor with distinction. But if there’s a lack of a winning strategy, they’re in harm’s way. Their leaders have failed them…” Peters said.
“You don’t have a strategy. You don’t have a long-term plan to actually win this war. The men and women are going to be able to do it, but they need to have leadership. When will you show leadership?” Peters asked.
Hegseth said, “Why don’t you show some leadership and stand up for your fellow Democrats who won’t fund the troops, who stand and play partisan politics while you don’t give us the money?”
He also accused Peters of showing any “political courage” to fund defense efforts, alleging he has Trump derangement syndrome — the pejorative term used by supporters of Donald Trump to describe critics whose intense opposition they characterize as irrational, obsessive and disconnected from his actual policies.
“Secretary Hegseth you have over a trillion dollars, you’re asking for one and a half trillion dollars. It’s not a question of money; it’s a question of leadership and understanding what it takes to actually win,” Peters responded.
Hegseth took the rest of the senator’s time to state that it was the “political cowardice of Democrats” causing a stalemate in the war.
The Trump administration has repeatedly sought peace deals with Iran that have crumbled due to alleged violations of closed-door agreements.
Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic causing oil and gas prices to fluctuate while attacking U.S. assets in the Middle East.
On Tuesday, the president said Iran “desperately” wants to meet for a ceasefire, reigniting the possibility of another period of peace.
Pakistan helped negotiate a 14-point memorandum of understanding last month, which sparked a 60-day ceasefire agreement. The deal was ruptured in mid-July.
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