Hegseth asks Congress for $350B, calls Iran campaign a historic effort

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth urged Congress to approve at least $350 billion in defense funding and defended the U.S. military campaign against Iran as a historic effort to keep Tehran from a nuclear weapon.

In a video posted to X, Hegseth called for a reconciliation bill to strengthen the military and the defense industrial base: "We need every vote from every patriotic member of Congress." He praised the purge of DEI programs and said the department would "put America and the warfighter first, always and without apology."

President Trump told ABC News he intends to keep Hegseth in the Cabinet. Hegseth dismissed impeachment articles pushed by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) as a "sham" from a "disgruntled, defeated congressman" and Democrat allies. Massie lost his Republican primary in May; the House has not voted on the articles.