US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to defend the Iran war in fiery remarks to Congress on Wednesday, saying it was not a quagmire and attacking Democratic lawmakers as "feckless" for criticizing the unpopular conflict.
Hegseth was testifying before Congress for the first time since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, which has led to a surge in gasoline prices.
US President Donald Trump's popularity has taken a pounding since the conflict began, and just 34% of Americans approve of the US conflict with Iran, down from 36% in mid-April and 38% in mid-March, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
Democrats peppered Hegseth with questions about the open-ended conflict, with Rep. John Garamendi of California calling it a "quagmire" and "political and economic disaster at every level."
Hegseth responded angrily.
"You call it a quagmire, handing propaganda to our enemies? Shame on you for that statement," Hegseth said in response to Garamendi, and slammed "reckless, feckless, and defeatist" Congressional Democrats.
"Don't say: 'I support the troops on one hand, and then a two-month mission is a quagmire.' ... Who are you cheering for here? Who you pulling for?"
Pentagon may be understating severity of US missile stockpile shortage
Hegseth's defense of the war with Iran came after The Atlantic reported that the United States Defense Department may be understating the severity of America's missile stockpile shortage.
The Monday report cited two unnamed senior officials saying that US Vice President JD Vance has been questioning the accuracy of the department's reports on the matter and on the war in general.
According to The Atlantic, Vance has discussed the issue with US President Donald Trump, expressing his concerns to the President without directly accusing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth or Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine of intentionally misleading Trump.