President Donald Trump has brushed aside mounting criticism of his defence secretary. Trump backed him with a brief but firm endorsement. The five-word verdict came as Republican senators voiced dwindling confidence in Pete Hegseth’s leadership during the ongoing war with Iran.
Donald Trump defends Pete Hegseth amid Iran war
Speaking to reporters, Donald Trump was asked whether he felt frustrated with Pete Hegseth’s advice during the early stages of the Iran war. His response came in five words as he stressed that Hegseth “has done a great job.” The president went on to explain that Hegseth and other senior advisers had presented him with urgent intelligence assessments. They warned that Iran was actively preparing to strike the United States unless Washington acted first (via The Guardian).
According to Trump, his team cautioned that the situation was rapidly approaching “a point of no return,” leaving pre-emptive military action as the only viable path. The strikes commenced in late February, triggering a regional crisis that has since upended global energy markets and drawn in Iranian-backed forces across multiple countries.
Moreover, Trump’s endorsement came as several GOP senators have openly questioned Hegseth’s stewardship of the Pentagon amid a war that grinds on without a clear endpoint. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina told The Hill, “I don’t have any confidence in him anymore. I think he’s all over the place.” Tillis accused the defence secretary of displaying “a massive insecurity complex” and lacking experience managing large organizations.
The president, however, struck an optimistic note on diplomatic developments. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, he claimed Iran had requested talks “through their surrogates and directly.” He framed the overture as proof that military pressure was working. “They want to meet, and we’re meeting. Without what we did, they wouldn’t even be talking to us,” he said.
Yet, Tehran gave a starkly different account. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei stated that mediators may be passing messages but insisted, “at present we are not engaged in any negotiations with the United States” (via The Guardian).
Trump has maintained his combative posture regardless.
