Troops at polling sites and true cost of Iran war: Key takeaways from Hegseth’s clash in the Senate
Troops at polling sites and true cost of Iran war: Key takeaways from Hegseth’s clash in the Senate
Joe SommerladFri, May 1, 2026 at 10:45 AM UTC
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was back on Capitol Hill Thursday to take questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee about the Iran war in what proved to be another combative and ill-tempered hearing.
Hegseth suffered a similar ordeal a day earlier in front of the House Armed Services Committee, losing his cool when it was suggested that Operation Epic Fury had already entrapped the U.S. in the sort of “quagmire” previously experienced in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam.
The secretary hit out at “defeatist Democrats” for failing to support the latest American military intervention in the Middle East, insisted any cost incurred by the conflict was worth it to stamp out the prospect of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, and praised President Donald Trump repeatedly for having the “courage” to embark on the endeavor.
Pete Hegseth testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday over the Iran war, a hearing that proved just as heated as his appearance before the House a day earlier (Getty)
Arriving in the upper chamber of Congress for the sequel, Hegseth saw his opening statement interrupted by a protester who accused him of being a war criminal before sparring with opposition senators on everything from the likely price tag of the conflict, its probable duration, and the prospect of sending troops to polling stations during November’s midterms elections.
Here’s a look at some of the key exchanges on another trying day for the former Fox News host turned Pentagon chief.
Slotkin presses Hegseth on use of military in midterms
Hegseth came up against a number of Democratic senators, including Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, whom the administration tried and failed to prosecute after they appeared in a video last year reminding service members it is their duty to reject any illegal orders received from superiors.
Slotkin used her time to ask the secretary whether he would obey an order from the president to use troops to “seize ballots or voting machines” during the midterms.
“The federal government has never put the uniform military at our polls,” she said. “Will you stand up for the Constitution and say no, or will you salute and do his bidding?”
Hegseth attempted to evade the question by calling it “another gotcha hypothetical.”
Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin asks Hegseth whether he would follow a direction from President Donald Trump to deploy the military during November’s midterms elections (Reuters)
“It's not a hypothetical… You give that answer all the time,” Slotkin countered. “You and I have done this dance before, get over it.
“You’re the guy here in the seat. It’s not hypothetical. Tell the American people. Will you deploy the uniform military to our polls to collect voter rolls or machines?”
Hegseth accused her of “performing for cable news” before the panel’s chairman, Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, pushed him to answer.
“I’ve never been ordered to do anything illegal, and I won’t, that goes without saying,” he finally answered.
Blumenthal disputes Pentagon’s cost estimate
Hegseth was joined at the hearing by General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Pentagon’s acting chief financial officer, Jules Hurst III, and a figure raised by the latter a day earlier proved contentious.
Hurst had told the equivalent House committee Wednesday that the war had cost $25 billion to date, a sum Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal challenged him on, saying the Pentagon’s estimate was “well below the actual cost based on everything that I’ve heard, everything available to us in various kinds of settings, and I’m going to ask for a more accurate assessment.”
When Hurst could not be specific on whether the figure included the cost of damage done to U.S. assets in the region by Iran’s retaliatory strikes, Blumenthal reminded him: “You’re here to ask for appropriations, and I would like a more accurate estimate of what has been done that will require replacement and renovation, as well as the other costs.”
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Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal disputes the cost of the conflict (Getty)
He suggested the number was “probably less than half, maybe less than a quarter of the total cost of war, which is the reason why the supplemental request is much higher.”
Hegseth argued, as he had a day earlier, that the value of defanging Iran was far more significant than any cost that might be incurred by the American taxpayer.
Kaine rejects secretary’s stopped clock contention
Another disputed issue related to Iran was precisely when the president’s 60-day deadline expires, after which he must withdraw American forces or ask Congress for a 30-day extension.
The administration informed the legislative branch about the conflict via letter on March 2, which means that, under the War Powers Act, it must begin to wind down operations from Friday without approval for continuation being granted.
Hegseth, however, contested that interpretation by arguing that Trump declaring a ceasefire on April 7 had stopped the clock.
Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine hit back, saying he did not accept the secretary’s position: “I think the 60 days runs maybe tomorrow, and it’s going to pose a really important legal question for the administration.
“We have serious constitutional concerns, and we don’t want to layer those with additional statutory concerns.”
Warren digs deep on insider trading
Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren confronted Hegseth over allegations that leaks from the administration were enabling insiders to enrich themselves by betting on future events using apps like Polymarket and Kalshi, pointing to a series of “perfectly timed spikes in trading activity.”
“It looks like insiders have been making out like bandits using secret information about the war,” Warren said. “Do you have a story for why just minutes before there’s an announcement, there’s a surge in trading activity?”
The secretary said he was “more focused on doing my job and ensuring we execute properly” and “what happens in markets… is not something we’re involved in.”
Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren seeks answers about military personnel allegedly using betting apps to profit from insider knowledge (Reuters)
When Warren pivoted to a Financial Times story alleging that Hegseth may have attempted to profit himself, he snapped back: “That entire story is false, has been from the beginning and was made up out of whole cloth.
“I’m not looking for money. I don’t do it for money. I don’t do it for profit. I don’t do it for stocks.”
Warren pressed: “I’d like to hear you say: Did you, through your broker at Morgan Stanley or otherwise, seek to invest in any defense-related funds right before Trump started the Iran war?”
“I’ll give it to you as a big fat negative,” he answered.
Republicans pitch softballs
While Democrats went after Hegseth aggressively, he received a much smoother ride from his own side.
Indiana Sen. Jim Banks came right out and said the secretary was the best he had seen in 10 years in Congress, Florida’s Rick Scott asked Hegseth what he was proudest of since taking charge of the Pentagon, and Arkansas’s Tom Cotton invited him to brush aside fears the U.S. was burning through its munitions stockpile at an alarming rate.
Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst expressing her “disappointment” over the abrupt departure of Gen. Randy George and other top brass, reportedly after feuding with Hegseth, was one of the few uncomfortable moments offered by conservatives.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
