The Democratic leader of the U.S. Senate accused the defense secretary of sabotage

Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, harshly criticized the Pentagon chief during congressional hearings. The senator emphasized that the secretary’s policies stifle honesty among the officer corps, which could lead to mission failures and casualties in the future. 

Bloomberg reported this, noting that the remarks came on the second day of discussions regarding the Defense Department’s activities.

According to Reed, Haget creates an atmosphere where leaders are afraid to offer honest professional advice if it contradicts the will of the leadership. The politician believes that such a distortion of military leadership jeopardizes the U.S. Armed Forces’ ability to win wars. Every officer is obligated to speak the truth to their superiors, as the absence of open dialogue in the military has historically led to strategic defeats.

Pete Hagset himself has not yet provided a detailed response to the Democratic senator’s accusations during the hearing. Previously, the Pentagon chief’s actions had already been the subject of debate due to his personnel policies and approaches to reforming military structures. This situation is unfolding against the backdrop of the need to strengthen U.S. defense capabilities to deter global threats, particularly from Russia and Moscow’s partners.

The Pentagon chief named exemplary U.S. allies and warned others.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has for the first time released an official estimate of the cost of a war against Iran—it amounts to approximately $25 billion.