Hegseth faces more grilling from Congress as Iran-Israel conflict escalates
June 17, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is returning to Capitol Hill for the last in a series of hearings before lawmakers. They have pressed him on everything from a ban on transgender troops to his use of Signal chats to share sensitive military plans. The questions Wednesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee may be dominated by the escalation of airstrikes between Iran and Israel that threaten a potentially devastating regional war. Hegseth’s testimony last week in three congressional hearings also was taken over by events, with the Trump administration dispatching the National Guard and hundreds of active-duty Marines to Los Angeles against California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wishes.