Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified alongside Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, before the Senate Appropriations Committee Tuesday to demand $67 billion in emergency funding for the Iran war.

Held amid mounting casualties, the hearing revealed the deepening crisis of American imperialism in Iran, where it faces a military debacle to which the Trump administration has responded with renewed bombing and the active discussion of deploying ground troops and using nuclear weapons.

Hegseth, admitting that the cost of the war had surged to $37.5 billion, conducted himself as a belligerent bully. “Shame on you and others who call this a quagmire and a failure!” he raged.

In the face of growing popular opposition, the Democrats made every effort to show that they are a loyal opposition, accusing the administration of incompetence in the prosecution of the interests of American imperialism.

The most significant statement came from Democratic Michigan Senator Gary Peters, who called Hegseth a “failure” and declared, “You don’t have a strategy. You don’t have a long-term plan to actually win this war. Win the war!”

Peters continued, “The men and women are going to be able to do it, but they need to have leadership. When will you show leadership?”