Defense & National Security — A coming clash between Trump and Congress

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View Online Defense & National Security Defense & National Security PRESENTED BY  The Big Story  A coming clash between Trump and Congress President Trump is headed to a showdown with Democrats and members of his party after Election Day over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s future leadership of the Pentagon, the Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. © Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press Democrats are stepping up their demands that Trump fire Hegseth after the midterm elections and warning they won’t support funding increases for the Defense Department while the military conflict with Iran is ongoing.   Republicans are warning that Trump will have to push back on Russian President Vladimir Putin and make a stronger commitment to Ukraine if he is to get the Defense funding increases the Pentagon needs after eight months of conflict with Iran.    This sets the stage for a political battle over the Department of Defense (DOD) after Election Day, and some Senate aides warn that if Trump doesn’t give significant ground after Democrats pick up seats in Congress, it could trigger another government shutdown.   “There’s no world in which Democrats are funding the Iran war,” said a senior Senate Democratic aide. “I think Republicans are going to have to do some version of reconciliation if they want to fund the DOD.”   “I don’t know how it plays out if it’s not through reconciliation because I think you’d be hard-pressed to find many, if any, Democrats who are willing to fund it,” the aide added.   Democrats are ramping up pressure on Trump to fire Hegseth after the Nov. 3 election and threatening to impeach him in the next Congress if Trump doesn’t shake up the Pentagon’s leadership.   House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) is threatening that Democrats will push hard to oust Hegseth if they win control of the House in next week’s elections, as many political handicappers project.   Read the full report at TheHill.com. Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR Palantir's software helps keep U.S. troops safe. Protecting America’s frontline requires decision advantage. That’s why the U.S. military uses Palantir’s software to surface critical information to the right decision-makers at the right time. Learn how Palantir’s software supports U.S. defense and national security.  Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and in the future: Hegseth seeks to assuage Southeast Asian partners on trip to Philippines Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attempted to assuage Southeast Asian partners this week that the U.S. is dedicated to its allies in the Asia-Pacific region and pitched a defense framework to guide cooperation in the next few years during his trip to the Philippines.  Hegseth said the Trump administration’s “strong, quiet and clear” approach to the Indo-Pacific means Washington is willing to defend its interests and the interests …  Full Story ‘Back away from this podium’: UN ambassador posts video of confrontation with Cuban reps in General Assembly Hall U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz on Tuesday posted a video depicting a confrontation between U.S. and Cuban officials while he spoke at the podium of the U.N. General Assembly chamber. The video shows Cuban officials standing and speaking to Waltz, who can be heard saying one of them needs “to back away from this podium.” “He’s not going to intimidate me in the United States of America …  Full Story Iran war cost increases to $47 billion  The cost of the U.S.’s war against Iran has gone up to $47 billion, an increase of more than $3 billion since last month, as President Trump mulls launching strikes against the Islamic Republic after the U.S. midterm elections.  The biggest chunk of the cost is munition replacement at $29 billion, according to an Oct. 16 U.S. Central Command (Centcom) estimate, which was shared with Congress and obtained by The Hill on Tuesday.  …  Full Story In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: House Democrat: Paper ballots protect against Musk’s potential election hacking Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, said Wednesday that the use of paper ballots prevents hacking from tech mogul Elon Musk, who is supporting Republicans this election cycle. “Forty-nine of the 50 states have paper records of the ballots, right?” Himes … Full Story A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR Palantir’s software is built for the people who serve. Keeping U.S. forces safe requires turning complex data into coordinated action. That’s why the U.S. military uses Palantir’s software to identify, vet, and plan against evolving threats. Discover how Palantir’s technology empowers the U.S. military.    On Tap Tomorrow  Events in and around the defense world:  The Foreign Policy Research Institute will hear from former Haitian Ambassador to the U.S. Herve Denis on Kenya’s failed peacekeeping mission in Haiti at 10:30 a.m. The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft will discuss “War in Ethiopia Begins Anew: Stakes for Africa and Beyond,” at 11 a.m. What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: Vance makes Tehran outreach as Middle East braces for resumption of Iran war, The Washington Post reports GOP defense hawks break with Trump ahead of the midterms, Politico reports US Navy reports highest number of Class A aviation, afloat mishaps in 10 years, Military Times reports Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Why the Peltola ‘spoiler’ controversy may be too late to shake up Alaska Allegations that Mary Peltola’s (D) campaign was involved in recruiting “spoiler” candidates to siphon votes from incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) shook … Read more Right-wing activist James O’Keefe charged with unlawful voting, identity theft Conservative influencer James O’Keefe was charged Wednesday in Minnesota after he and fellow right-leaning commentator Cam Higby misrepresented themselves … Read more Opinions in The Hill  Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: A bipartisan watchdog on China may go dark — that would be a mistake. Drone warfare could save NATO The House is sitting on the evidence about pulsed microwave attacks   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Defense page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view all our topical emails here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 Copyright © 1998 - 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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