SerpApi.Org
Senator John Kennedy, the Republican from Louisiana, rebuked Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in a Tuesday hearing.
The Senator clashed with Hegseth, demanding the Secretary make the case for continuing to wage war in Iran as the administration asks Congress to approve another $67 billion in emergency funding for the conflict, in addition to an estimated $37 billion already spent.
Kennedy, a staunch Trump ally who advocates a hawkish foreign policy, became visibly frustrated during a line of questioning about the potential consequences of pulling out of the war.
'Would [the regime] try to commence development again of a nuclear warhead?' Kennedy asked.
Kennedy Demands 'Straight Answers'
Hegseth replied, 'Part of the reason that President Trump had to have the courage to do what he did after Midnight Hammer [Trump's June 2025 airstrikes on Iran] was that they didn't give up their ambitions even though their nuclear sites had been obliterated.'
As Hegseth continued the lengthy response, Kennedy interrupted with an exclamation: 'Gosh, we need straight answers,' he said, repeating it for emphasis.
Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine were testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee on a White House budget request as war continues in the Middle East.
The testimony comes as three US soldiers were killed over the weekend, bringing America's Iran war death toll to 17.
The Trump administration is facing increasing pressure from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill as the war launched on February 28 drags on.
Hegseth Questioned On Funding
Trump renewed strikes against Iran two weeks ago as a ceasefire deal agreed by the two sides collapsed.
Oil prices surged to more than $90 per barrel on Tuesday, with gasoline returning to a nationwide average above $4 per gallon.
Trump's war is increasing inflationary pressures on the US economy and alarming Republicans as the midterms in November draw near.
Hegseth faced pressure from Democratic senators who questioned whether additional funding should be granted to the Department of War, as they accused the Secretary of failing to properly spend previous money.
In his opening testimony, Hegseth had scowled as protesters repeatedly interrupted him.
Protesters Interrupt Hegseth's Testimony
'Your hands are bloody,' one woman said as US Capitol police dragged her from the room.
Hegseth resumed talking, only to be interrupted again a few seconds later.
'Stop bombing our children in Iran and Palestine - this is illegal,' a second woman stood and shouted.
Both held signs saying in all caps, 'NO WAR ON IRAN.'
Hegseth was then interrupted a third time, prompting an angry reaction from Senator Susan Collins, who chaired Tuesday's hearing.
'We will have order in the hearing room,' Collins declared tersely.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins also testified in the hearing.
Report: Leaked intel lays bare Trump's reality in Iran
Donald Trump has delayed honoring slain US troops as leaked intelligence warns Tehran is unlikely to cave to his demands even after a fresh round of strikes.
The President had been scheduled to receive the remains of First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, who were killed in an Iranian attack on a US air base in Jordan.
The dignified transfer was set to take place at Dover Air Force Base on Tuesday but was abruptly postponed, with no new time announced.
The Pentagon also identified Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, who was killed during the controlled detonation of an Iranian drone.
American troop deaths in the war have risen to 18 as nearly 100 US troops have been injured in Iranian strikes on bases across the Middle East over the past two weeks.
US intelligence analysts are also warning Trump that Iran is unlikely to soften its stance or make nuclear concessions, despite renewed strikes on the regime's military and civilian infrastructure, according to the Washington Post.
Current and former intelligence officials warn that Tehran and Washington are stuck in an indefinite limbo between peace and war, as American casualties mount and critical munitions grow scarce.
