Top Democrat: Hegseth should have appeared ‘before they went to war’

House Minority Whip Katherine Clark argued that the Pentagon should have appeared before Congress earlier amid concerns about the ballooning cost of the Iran conflict, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified for the first time since the war’s start. The articles portray Hegseth defending the war and facing Democratic critique over costs and messaging, with one describing a Democrat saying Trump was misled about US military triumph and another noting Hegseth’s rebuttal of dissent from Congress. Across sources, the core claim is the early congressional appearance and cost concerns, with noted disagreements over whether the war has been accurately portrayed and funded governance implications.