Takeaways From Hegseth’s Second Day of Testimony on the Iran War
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- The Senate Armed Services Committee held a three-hour hearing primarily focused on the U.S. war against Iran and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s tenure, rather than detailed discussions of the Pentagon’s nearly $1.45 trillion budget request.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized Democrats and some Republicans in Congress, labeling them as the biggest adversaries due to their opposition to the Iran war.
- Democratic senators questioned Hegseth about his decision to significantly reduce staff in the Pentagon's civilian protection office, which was established to minimize harm to noncombatants in combat zones.
- Hegseth dismissed concerns about civilian casualties and did not provide answers to questions regarding the drastic cuts to the office tasked with civilian protection.
