Hegseth clashes with Dems at first Iran-war hearing
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- Hegseth opened the six-hour House Armed Services Committee hearing by calling congressional Democrats and "some Republicans" the "reckless, feckless and defeatist" "biggest adversary" the U.S. faces.
- Democrats repeatedly accused Hegseth of being incompetent, a "yes-man" to Trump, and unfit to serve in such an important role throughout the hearing.
- Hegseth refused to explain his firing of Gen. Randy George, the Army chief of staff who served more than four decades, telling Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) only that the administration "needed new leadership."
- Houlahan shot back that Hegseth's non-answer was "a very immature way of responding to my request," and Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) told Hegseth directly, "I disagree with the firing of George."
- Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), one of the few Republicans open to a war powers resolution if the Iran conflict extends beyond 60 days, noted a "huge bipartisan majority" had supported both George and fired Navy Secretary John Phelan.
- Republicans were mostly "conflict-averse" despite prior public frustration with the administration's Iran strategy, though Bacon, Scott, Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), and committee chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) all raised pointed questions or past complaints.
- Turner, who ripped Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby at a hearing last month, took a softer approach this time, routing his questions about allied support to Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine, who appeared alongside Hegseth.
Why it matters: The hearing produced the most visible bipartisan criticism of Hegseth to date, with Republicans citing a "huge bipartisan majority" that had backed the ousted military leaders. With Rep. Don Bacon already signaling he could back a war powers resolution if the Iran conflict extends past 60 days, Hegseth's GOP margin of error is narrowing at the very moment the Pentagon is running an active war.
