{"id":36155,"date":"2026-05-12T20:14:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T19:14:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kaizen-blog.org\/?p=36155"},"modified":"2026-05-12T20:15:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T19:15:03","slug":"hegseth-anhoerung-milliarden-verschwinden-und-washington-verliert-die-kontrolle-ueber-den-eigenen-krieg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kaizen-blog.org\/en\/hegseth-anhoerung-milliarden-verschwinden-und-washington-verliert-die-kontrolle-ueber-den-eigenen-krieg\/","title":{"rendered":"Hegseth Hearing - Billions Are Disappearing and Washington Is Losing Control of Its Own War"},"content":{"rendered":"

Washington - Long before Pete Hegseth even entered the hearing room, that tense atmosphere already hung over Capitol Hill, the kind that usually emerges in Washington when even members of the president\u2019s own party begin growing nervous. Protesters against the war stood outside the doors. Some held signs high in the air, others shouted slogans against Donald Trump. Inside the chamber, activists wearing pink shirts sat in the back rows. When Hegseth finally took his seat alongside General Dan Caine and Pentagon Comptroller Jay Hurst, a woman suddenly stood up, raised her hands covered in fake blood into the air, and shouted at the defense secretary that the American public did not support this war. Seconds later, security officers escorted her out of the room. Other demonstrators later walked out of the hearing in protest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officially, the day was supposed to focus on the Pentagon budget - nearly $1.45 trillion for the coming year. But after only a few minutes it became obvious that almost nobody was seriously interested in discussing normal budget numbers anymore. The entire day revolved around Iran, exploding war costs, the blocked Strait of Hormuz, depleted weapons stockpiles, damaged American bases, an administration without a clear funding strategy, and the growing question of whether the White House is now effectively bypassing Congress altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One detail stood out immediately during Hegseth\u2019s opening remarks. Unlike two weeks ago, he barely mentioned the war against Iran in his prepared statement at all. For days, the White House has visibly tried to create the impression that the fighting is largely over. Only recently, the administration officially informed Congress that hostilities had ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But inside the Capitol, even many Republicans no longer seemed to believe that.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because while Washington publicly speaks about a ceasefire, roughly 15,000 American troops remain stationed in the region. More than 20 warships are still operating around the Strait of Hormuz. The American naval blockade against Iran continues unchanged. Just last week, American warships once again intercepted Iranian attacks. At the same time, the Pentagon openly discusses new escalation plans, additional troop movements, and further military options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And with every passing week, the costs continue to rise.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pentagon Comptroller Jay Hurst told lawmakers that war expenditures have now reached roughly $29 billion. Just two weeks ago, the same administration was still talking about $25 billion. Four billion dollars in additional costs within only a matter of days. Yet even that figure apparently represents only part of the real burden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n