Trump Pentagon Chief Hegseth Lashes Out at Hearing in New ‘Pharisees’ Rant

Trump Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth lashed out at Democrats in a new rant referencing his comparison of Trump opponents to the “Pharisees,” Biblical opponents of Jesus.

At a recent Pentagon press briefing, Hegseth attacked what he called the “Trump-hating legacy press” by comparing them to the Bible villains who monitored Jesus to try and find a justification to arrest him.

On Thursday, Hegseth testified at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Department of Defense budget request for Fiscal Year 2027, one day after a contentious hearing before the equivalent House committee.

During one exchange, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) confronted Hegseth over President Donald Trump’s assertion that “Ukraine is militarily defeated,” which some believe was a misspoken statement about Iran.

But Hegseth instead went on the attack against “defeatist Democrats,” whom he added to the ranks of the modern Pharisees:

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): Mr. Secretary, I know you have characterized this war as an astonishing military success, to use your words, yesterday.

But the American People aren’t buying it.

I know you feel the American people are seeing through abstruse stuff that is thrown at them. But one point is irrefutable, which is America never succeeds in war unless the American people are behind it.

And if what you’re seeing as success now is winning, I would hate to see what losing looks like.

Because none of the shifting and contradictory objectives of the war so far have been achieved.

Likewise, let me ask you. Yesterday, the president said that Ukraine has been, quote, “militarily defeated.”.

I assume you don’t agree with that assessment.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH: The negative nature in which you characterize the incredible and historic effort in Iran is part of the reason, Senator, why the American people view it the way they do. It’s why I looked out at our press corps at the Pentagon and called them the Pharisees in the press. It’s because they look for every problem–

(CROSSTALKING)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): Well, I’m asking you about Ukraine, do you believe Ukraine has been militarily defeated?

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH: You missed the plank–.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): I would submit, based on my nine trips to Ukraine, that is a false narrative that the president’s buying from Vladimir Putin–.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH: We are two months into a historic military success in Iran, and you want to call it a defeat. And it’s defeatist Democrats like you that cloud the mind of the American people and would otherwise fully support preventing an Iran from having a nuclear weapon.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): (CROSSTALK) administration and they are bravely fighting our fight and that is the reason that I’m pursuing the Russian sanctions bill which is bipartisan along with Senator Graham and why I hope we will recognize our obligation to release that 400 million dollars we’ve appropriated.

Watch above via the Senate Armed Services Committee.

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