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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth<\/a> erupted at a Democratic lawmaker who asked whether President Donald Trump was \u201cmentally stable enough\u201d to be commander in chief after he threatened to wipe out Iran\u2019s \u201centire civilization.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Hegseth is being questioned under oath by the House Armed Services Committee alongside Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, as negotiations to end Trump\u2019s war remain at an impasse. <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cMr. Secretary, you are with the president a lot, and it pains me to even have to ask this about our president, but my constituents\u2019 lives are at stake. Do you believe that the President is mentally stable enough to be the commander in chief?\u201d California Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs said to Hegseth.<\/p>\n \u201cI won’t even engage with the level of disparagement that you’re putting on the commander in chief,\u201d Hegseth said, before unleashing on Jacobs about former President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n Earlier, Hegseth refused to say whether he advised Trump to launch the attack on Iran. <\/p>\n \u201cWe never talk about what we would advise the president to do or not,\u201d Hegseth replied to Massachusetts Democrat Seth Moulton.<\/p>\n The war, which Hegseth pledged in early March would likely last between \u201cfour to five weeks,\u201d has now entered its eighth week. <\/a><\/p>\n It has so far cost an estimated $25 billion, a Pentagon financial official told the hearing.<\/p>\n Briefing: What we know on 61st day of Iran warPresident Donald Trump has reportedly told his aides to prepare for a prolonged blockade of Iran, choosing sustained economic pressure over further strikes or withdrawal. Oil prices rose on news there was no end in sight to blockade U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies before Congress on war Trump claimed Iran has informed the U.S. it was “in a State of Collapse”, though this has not been confirmed by Tehran. A public spat between Donald Trump and German chancellor Friedrich Merz erupted after the latter said the U.S. was being \u201chumiliated\u201d by Iran The United Arab Emirates has quit Opec after nearly 60 years, weakening the group and signaling a major shift in global oil politics and regional alliances. Former US officials have criticized the lack of transparency over the deadly Minab school strike in Iran, calling the Pentagon\u2019s silence \u201chighly unusual\u201d Read more<\/p>\n Maroosha Muzaffar29 April 2026 05:45<\/p>\n <\/a>Second Republican shares concern over Hegseth’s firing of top Army official<\/p>\n A second Republican questioned Pete Hegseth\u2019s firing of Gen. Randy George, one of the top U.S. military officials. <\/p>\n Reps. Austin Scott of Georgia and Don Bacon of Nebraska both expressed their concern over George\u2019s ousting. <\/p>\n \u201cI do want you to know I disagree with the firing of General George,\u201d Scott said. \u201cI’ve sent you a letter. I hope you’ll look forward to seeing the responses on that.\u201d<\/p>\n Rhian Lubin29 April 2026 20:05<\/p>\n <\/a>Trump said Putin offered his ‘help’ with Iran<\/p>\n Pivoting away from Hegseth\u2019s testimony for a moment, President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin renewed his offer to support in dealing with Iran\u2019s 970 pounds of enriched uranium that Trump is demanding Tehran surrender.<\/p>\n \u201cHe told me he\u2019d like to be involved with the enrichment \u2014 if he can help us get it,\u201d Trump said Putin told him. <\/p>\n \u201cI said, \u2018I\u2019d much rather have you be involved with ending the war with Ukraine.\u2019 To me, that would be more important.\u201d<\/p>\n Rhian Lubin, AP29 April 2026 19:55<\/p>\n <\/a>Analysis: Pete Hegseth lost his cool in front of Congress. It was a dramatic unraveling<\/p>\n Pete Hegseth sounds increasingly deluded and desperate, writes Holly Baxter.<\/a><\/p>\n When it comes to the Iran war and the updates he is tasked to provide, he\u2019s most comfortable in front of a journalistic audience, where he can yell and berate people for \u201cbeing negative\u201d any time they ask anything that sounds too much like an actual question. <\/p>\n But today, poor old Pete had to testify in Congress<\/a> before the experts on the House Armed Services Committee. It\u2019s a place where questions aren\u2019t just allowed, but also follow-up questions.<\/p>\n And this is where he completely unraveled…<\/p>\n Holly Baxter29 April 2026 19:45<\/p>\n <\/a>Watch: Moment Hegseth is told to calm down by GOP committee chair<\/p>\n Hegseth was told to calm down by the GOP committee chairman during an exchange about the troops who were killed.<\/p>\n Watch the moment below via Aaron Rupar.<\/p>\n Rhian Lubin29 April 2026 19:36<\/p>\n <\/a>Hegseth says ‘nobody cares more about the fate of our troops’<\/p>\n Under questioning about the troops killed in Kuwait by Democrat Chris DeLuzio, Hegseth becomes irate and unhinged when asked if his spokesperson, Sean Parnell, was calling the survivors who spoke to CBS News \u201cliars.\u201d<\/p>\n The survivors told the network that they were \u201cunprepared for the attack,\u201d which Parnell said was \u201cnot true,\u201d DeLuzio said.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m not calling our troops liars, and I don’t know if what you’re representing is correct or not,\u201d Hegseth replied. \u201cI’ll take you at your word on that, but all I know is that we took every effort possible at the commencement of this campaign to ensure the defense of our troops.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are disparaging me, that I don’t care about the passing of our troops,\u201d he said. \u201cNobody cares more [for the] fate of our troops. Nobody cares more about the health of our troops.\u201d<\/p>\n Andrew Feinberg, Rhian Lubin29 April 2026 18:58<\/p>\n <\/a>Democrat calls on Hegseth to resign <\/p>\n Rep. Pat Ryan, (D-NY) is questioning Hegseth about the protection given to troops at a base that was the site of a fatal attack by Iran early in the 60-day-old war.<\/p>\n One of the survivors has said there was no protection to speak of. Hegseth has called that a “falsehood” and is now yelling at Ryan while refusing to directly answer his questions, except to call the deaths of service members \u201cthe consequence of conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n At the end of his allotted time for questions, Ryan called for Hegseth to resign.<\/p>\n \u201cThose soldiers are braver than you are. They deserve accountability, and I’m asking for the same, starting with you. And as I said a year ago, you need to resign immediately,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n Andrew Feinberg29 April 2026 18:50<\/p>\n <\/a>‘Did you ask the same question of Joe Biden?’<\/p>\n Hegseth replied to Rep. Sara Jacobs\u2019 questions about Trump\u2019s mental stability by pivoting to former President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you ask the same question of Joe Biden for four years?\u201d Hegseth replied. \u201cYou did not, and I won’t even engage with the level of disparagement you’re putting on the commander and chief.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to ask that question after you and your fellow Democrats defended Joe Biden who could barely speak?\u201d he fumed.<\/p>\n Watch the exchange below:<\/p>\n Rhian Lubin29 April 2026 18:40<\/p>\n