Amna Nawaz
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WATCH: Democrats 'biggest adversary' in Iran war, Hegseth says
Posted
April 29, 2026
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April 29, 2026
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1:16Now PlayingDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Congress, especially Democrats, are the biggest impediment to preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon.
“The biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless, and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” he said in his opening remarks in Wednesday’s budget hearing before the House Armed Services Committee.
“We are proud of this undertaking,” Hegseth said, after praising President Donald Trump for his “ironclad” desire to not let Iran have a nuclear weapon.
Rep. George Whitesides, D-Calif., later criticized Hegseth for politicizing the hearing. "Poll after poll shows that the American public does not support this war, and support is dropping every day," Whitesides told the Pentagon chief. "We are all representing our constituents, which is our constitutional duty. To state that we are politicizing it is an affront to Congress and every member in this House."
Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were invited to testify on Trump’s 2027 budget request to increase defense spending to $1.5 trillion – the largest proposed amount in decades.
The House hearing gave lawmakers a chance to question the defense leaders for the first time since the start of the war on Iran, which the U.S. and Israel launched at the end of February.
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