Hegseth Testimony: Lawmakers Skeptical of Defense Secretary’s Answers | NBC News

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced scrutiny from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle Wednesday during a House Armed Services Committee hearing regarding the ongoing war in Iran and the Pentagon’s budget, according to reporting from the New York Times and NBC News. Hegseth reportedly rebuked members of Congress who questioned the war effort.

The hearing marked Hegseth’s first public appearance before Congress since the start of Operation Epic Fury in late February, as noted by the New York Times. During the hearing, Hegseth castigated members of Congress for questioning the war in Iran.

The war has already cost the U.S. $25 billion after eight weeks, an official stated, according to NBC News. The New York Times reported that Hegseth dismissed criticism as political during the hearing.

Lawmakers Unconvinced by Testimony

NBC News reported that some skeptical lawmakers remained unconvinced by Hegseth’s testimony. Ryan Nobles of NBC News discussed the hearing on “Here’s the Scoop,” noting the challenges Hegseth faced in addressing concerns about the war’s cost and strategy.

The hearing also comes after reports surfaced regarding information shared in a Signal chat, as the New York Times previously reported. Top officials have rejected responsibility for the information shared in the chat, a matter that may have been raised during the hearing, though this was not explicitly stated in the available sources.

Other Developments

Alongside Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine also testified before the House Armed Services Committee. Live coverage of the hearing was provided by NBC News and PBS NewsHour. Other news covered during the day included indictments of current and former Mexican officials, hotel selfies released in a White House dinner attack case, a visit from King Charles and Queen Camilla, and comments from former President Trump regarding Ukraine and Iran.

The Federal Reserve also kept interest rates steady for the third straight time. A mentalist described moments during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, and jury selection began in the trial between Elon Musk and Sam Altman.