Hegseth hammers European allies, media in staunch Trump defense over Iran war

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▪ Hegseth goes after allies, media

▪ Trump says no boots on ground in Iran

▪ SAVE America Act votes coming

▪ Education Department portfolio moves

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has taken on the role of top attack dog defending President Trump while he oversees the war in Iran.

In times of war, the Pentagon chief has historically been a main messenger for an administration selling the war to the American people and laying out its progress and objectives.

But Hegseth has been particularly vocal in attacking both media outlets for their coverage of the conflict and key European allies for not providing more assistance.

Calling out media outlets for coverage has been a regular part of Hegseth’s press briefings over the past few weeks, railing against them for what he alleges is a narrative to turn the country against the war.

“The media here, not all of it, but much of it wants you to think just 19 days into this conflict that we’re somehow spinning toward an endless abyss or a forever war or a quagmire,” Hegseth said during a briefing Thursday. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

The defense chief gained attention last week for comments targeted specifically at CNN, pushing back on a report that the administration underestimated the conflict’s potential impacts on the Strait of Hormuz.

“Patently ridiculous, of course,” Hegseth said.

“The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better,” he said, referring to the deal Paramount Skydance made to acquire CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, earlier this month.

Hegseth has been regularly paired with Gen. Dan Caine, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with the two officials taking considerably different approaches to the war briefings.

Caine has generally stuck more closely to the traditional briefing format, keeping to sharing details such as the status of the fighting, Iran’s capabilities and the U.S. service members who have been killed.

Hegseth has done that too, along with some jab-throwing.

The Pentagon chief slammed media outlets less than a week into the start of the war for highlighting the deaths of six U.S. service members who were killed in an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait.

“This is what the fake news misses. We’ve taking control of Iran’s airspace and waterways without boots on the ground. We control their fate,” he said. “But when a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it’s front-page news. I get it, the press only wants to make the president look bad, but try for once to report the reality.”

Hegseth has also taken digs at the U.S.’s allies for statements condemning the offensive and continuing to stay out of the conflict.

“The world, the Middle East, our ungrateful allies in Europe, even segments of our own press should be saying one thing to President Trump: ‘Thank you,’” he said Thursday.

David Smith, the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief, noted that Hegseth “personifies a break” from past defense secretaries who were more “somber statesmen” in times of war.

“Hegseth is very much red blooded, red meat, we are the most powerful nation on Earth and we’re going to impose our will on the planet. And, you know, anybody who stands in our way will be blasted aside,” Smith said on a podcast this week.

Hegseth has been one of Trump’s chief defenders on the war, backing him fiercely in front of the cameras as the administration navigates a conflict that polls show has grown more unpopular with the public. It’s also starting to show more signs of unpopularity with the president’s base.

While the overwhelming majority of Republicans, especially those who identify as part of the MAGA movement, have said they support the war, various high-profile conservative media figures have pushed back on Trump for the offensive.

Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned this week from his role in protest of the war, becoming the first senior official to leave over the conflict. He argued Iran didn’t pose an imminent threat to the U.S., a claim the White House has rejected.

Vice President Vance has also been a consistent voice ardently defending the president, especially against charges that he is abandoning the “America first” campaign pledge to end what he called “forever wars.”

Despite his past criticisms of foreign intervention, Vance rejected the idea that he has reservations about his war or that it will become a long-running foreign entanglement similar to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“You’re trying to drive a wedge between members of the administration, between me and the president. What the president has said consistently, going back to 2015 and I agree with him, is that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon,” Vance told reporters this week.

Following Kent’s resignation and amid questions about how close the war is to completion, Vance said he can “guarantee” that Trump isn’t interested in getting the U.S. stuck in one of the long-term “quagmires that we’ve seen in the past.”

Still, it’s Hegseth who is most visibly and vocally going on the offensive in the public relations battle over the war, touting video online showing U.S. strikes while hammering the president’s perceived foes and delivering made-for-TV pitches defending Trump. 

▪ The Hill: Hegseth defends $200 billion war funding request.

▪ The Hill: GOP grapples with funding request.

3 Things to Know Today

Former FBI Director James Comey has been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors in Florida who are conducting a wide-ranging probe into a past investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. It comes months after a separate case charging Comey with making false statements was dismissed.

Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders are meeting this morning for a previously scheduled vote on approving a deal for Netflix to acquire the company. It was scheduled before Paramount Skydance won the bidding war to acquire the entertainment giant.

An immigration judge has denied the asylum claim of the family of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and ordered them deported to Ecuador. Ramos received widespread attention after he and his father were detained by immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this year.

NO BOOTS: Trump said Thursday he wouldn’t send troops to assist in the war against Iran as speculation has risen of a possible escalation with boots on the ground.

The president’s focus has been on securing the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed to most traffic since the U.S.-Israeli strikes began. About a fifth of the world’s oil transports pass through the waterway, making it crucial to global commerce.

The administration has floated sending ground forces to take Iran’s Kharg Island, which is located in the Persian Gulf and houses an oil depot that handles 90 percent of Tehran’s oil exports. The administration has also weighed deploying U.S. forces to secure Iran’s stocks of highly enriched uranium, with Trump repeatedly vowing to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

But Trump seemed to rule that out in comments to reporters Thursday.

“No, I’m not putting troops anywhere,” he said.

But he added that “If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you” and that he would do “whatever’s necessary” to bring oil costs down.

Sources told Reuters they don’t believe a deployment of ground forces anywhere in Iran is imminent. But the outlet reported the administration is considering deploying thousands of troops to reinforce its operation in the region.

And officials have been considering a mission to secure safe passage for oil tankers through the strait with support from naval and air forces.

In a positive development for the administration, Japan and some of the U.S.’s European allies signaled a “readiness to contribute” to efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands condemned Iran’s attacks on Persian Gulf states and effective closure of the strait in a joint statement Thursday.

“We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait,” the countries said. “We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning.”

The statement came after Trump’s calls for other countries to send war ships to the strait to protect passing oil tankers were largely rebuffed by the international community. The countries that make up the International Energy Agency agreed last week to release 400 million barrels of oil from stockpiles to mitigate rising costs but have so far shown hesitancy toward getting directly involved in the conflict.

The six countries agreed to take additional steps to stabilize global energy markets and provide support for the countries most affected by the strait’s closure.

▪ The Hill: U.S. may lift sanctions on Iranian oil already in transit.

▪ The Hill: Trump doesn’t plan to restrict oil or gas exports, officials say.

FIRST IN THE HILL: The Congressional Progressive Caucus formally came out against an extension of the government’s warrantless surveillance authority, potentially adding more difficulty to efforts to reauthorize the law.

The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch reports this is the first time the caucus has formally agreed to vote against renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the country to spy on foreigners located abroad.

Lawmakers who have expressed concerns about an invasion of privacy have argued the intelligence community should obtain a warrant before reviewing information on Americans that could get swept up if they communicate with those under surveillance, Beitsch notes.

Read more from Beitsch’s reporting here.

HURDLE CLEARED: The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee signed off Thursday on Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s (R-Okla.) nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following a contentious confirmation hearing the day before.

The committee narrowly voted to send Mullin’s nomination to the full Senate by a vote of 8-7. Chair Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voted against the nomination after having pressed Mullin on comments calling Paul a “snake” and questioning whether he had the temperament to lead DHS.

But Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) broke party lines to vote in favor, saving Mullin’s nomination.

The nomination will now go to the Senate floor and appears on track for confirmation. Paul is the only Senate Republican who has come out against Mullin’s nomination to succeed outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem.

The Senate is expected to vote Sunday on a motion to advance Mullin’s nomination, setting up a final vote Monday.

▪ The Hill: White House negotiating with Dem moderates on DHS shutdown.

▪ The Hill: Top senators backing Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) for Mullin’s seat.

WEEKEND VOTES COMING: The Senate plans to continue to debate and vote on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act throughout the weekend as conservatives try to pressure their fellow Republicans as well as Democrats on the voting requirements bill.

The upper chamber has been debating the bill, which Trump has declared his top legislative priority, throughout the week. The legislation would require people who are registering to vote to provide proof of citizenship and require voters to show an ID before casting a ballot.

Most Senate Republicans support the bill, but they don’t have enough support to overcome a Democratic filibuster to prevent it from advancing to final passage. And Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has rebuffed calls to force Democrats to speak continuously in a “talking filibuster” to hold up the bill.

Instead, conservatives are hoping to keep the bill on the floor for weeks to try to build momentum and force Democrats to defend their position.

But they’re also warning of potential issues for Republicans if the legislation continues to be blocked, saying it could lead GOP voters to sit out the midterm elections in November if it doesn’t make progress, The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports.

MERGER APPROVED: The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and Department of Justice have approved Nexstar Media Group’s acquisition of fellow local broadcaster Tegna, signing off on the landmark merger.

The FCC said it was granting a waiver to Nexstar, the largest provider of local news in the U.S., of the rule limiting the percentage of households that a single broadcaster can reach nationwide.

With the deal approved, Nexstar will have control of local newscasts in more than 70 percent of households across the country, The Hill’s Dominick Mastrangelo reports.

Nexstar also owns The Hill and the cable channel NewsNation.

The merger’s approval came less than a day after eight attorneys general filed a lawsuit attempting to block the deal, arguing the merger would violate a law protecting against those that substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly.

The president will participate in executive time at 8 a.m. He will participate in the Commander in Chief Trophy Presentation at 10:30 a.m. He will participate in a policy meeting at 1:30 p.m. and later travel to Palm Beach, Fla., for the weekend.

The Senate will meet at noon.

The House will convene at 10:30 a.m. for a pro forma session.

9 a.m.: Join Whole Hog Politics author Chris Stirewalt and The Hill’s SVP of Editorial Content Bill Sammon for their live virtual episode of Whole Hog Politics. Sign up to join.

DIMMING THE LIGHTS: The Department of Education is still standing one year after Trump signed an executive order to wind down operations, but the administration took its biggest step yet toward eliminating it Thursday.

The department announced it would seek to move its $1.7 trillion student loan portfolio to the Treasury Department, the most recent in a series of moves to unload responsibilities of the department to other parts of the federal government.

Trump enacted his executive order exactly one year ago today, telling Education Secretary Linda McMahon to put herself out of a job and terminate all programs at the department except “core necessities.” Since then, thousands of employees have been laid off, federal investigations have been delayed, and programs have been transferred elsewhere.

But The Hill’s Lexi Lonas Cochran reports that relocating the student loan portfolio is the most substantial move yet.

Only an act of Congress can eliminate the department, although even some Republicans are skeptical of doing so. But experts told Lonas Cochran that even if another president tries to rebuild the department, it could take years to return to its former state before Trump took office.

▪ The Hill: Colleges struggle to keep up with mental health problems.

▪ Forbes: Education Department student loan relief delay reaches appeals court.

EU DIVIDE: Top European Union leaders denounced a move from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Thursday to block financial aid for Ukraine, accusing him of playing politics.

The EU’s leaders issued rare public statements criticizing one of their own, insisting Orbán must respect a decision from the body in December to fund Ukraine’s army and economy for the next two years, The Associated Press reported. Orbán initially voted for the 90-billion-euro loan before later vetoing it.

“He’s using Ukraine as a weapon in his election campaigning, and it’s not good. We had a deal, and I think that he betrayed us,” Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told reporters.

Orbán is in the midst of intense campaigning for parliamentary elections in Hungary scheduled for next month. While Orbán’s the longest-serving leader in Hungary’s history, polls currently show him trailing just more than three weeks before the election.

Orbán has sought to portray Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a villain, alleging that he and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen want to drag Hungary into Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Ukraine and Hungary have been feuding over a pause in the shipment of oil deliveries from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia as a result of damage to a pipeline that crosses Ukrainian territory. Orbán pledged to block the loan as long as the oil shipments are halted.

In addition to vetoing the loan, Hungary is also holding up a new round of sanctions from the EU on Russia.

The AP reported that EU leaders believe at least a large portion of the loan must be provided by the start of May. Progress must be made on reaching an agreement in the next two to three weeks for that to happen.

▪ The Hill: Russia says Ukraine peace talks in ‘situational pause.’

Democracy demands debate — not a political litmus test, former Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) writes in The Hill.

Both parties are struggling with midterm messaging, Don Wolfensberger writes in The Hill.

And finally … 👏👏👏 Congrats to this week’s Morning Report quiz winners! They’re ready to welcome spring with some fast facts about the season.

Here’s who went 4/4: Richard Baznik, Michael Salanik, Stan Wasser, Harry Strulovici, Chuck Schoenenberger, Rick Schmidtke, Linda L. Field, Jess Elger, Jenessa Wagner, William Moore, Dennis Barksdale, Pam Manges, Robert Bradley, Mark R. Williamson, Steve James, Carmine Petracca and Savannah Petracca.

The latest spring can start in the Northern Hemisphere is March 21.

Japan has been historically known for its cherry blossoms, as they are considered the country’s national flower and are key to Japanese culture.

Daylight saving time was first implemented in the U.S. in 1918 but was used inconsistently over the years. It became a permanent staple in 1967, following the passage of the Uniform Time Act the year before.

Dahlias are the only one of the listed flowers that don’t bloom at all in the spring, as they bloom during the summer into the fall. Snowdrops typically start blooming usually in late winter into the start of spring, but I’ll accept that answer for purposes of this quiz.

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