Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out on social media Friday following a report from The Washington Post that found more U.S. service members had died in the Middle East during the war with Iran than the Pentagon had disclosed publicly.
“This is DISGUSTING and FAKE. A complete LIE,” wrote Hegseth on X. “Shame on the Washington Post — they’re worse than Iranian state media.”
While Hegseth responded on social media, the Pentagon declined to answer the Post’s questions about discrepancies in the casualty count.
The Post’s report found there have been at least 22 military fatalities since the U.S. and Israel launched the war in Iran on Feb. 28. That number is four higher than what appears in the Pentagon’s official Defense Casualty Analysis System, or DCAS.
The report cited five U.S. officials who spoke with the Post on the condition of anonymity.
However, a sixth official said the casualty count could be as high as 23. The report noted that not all the deaths were tied directly to the conflict, but all were U.S. personnel in the Middle East.
Hegseth has faced growing scrutiny over the conflict, even having articles of impeachment introduced against him this week by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).
Massie, in his resolution, accuses Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors related to the Trump administration launching the war with Iran without congressional approval and military strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.
However, after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) sent members home early on Wednesday, Massie’s resolution to impeach Hegseth and his push to release more files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation will not be voted on until after the midterm elections, if at all.
“We’re calling off Congress? And we’re in the majority?” Massie said on the House floor Wednesday.
“I’m trying to get justice for the Epstein survivors,” he said. “I’m trying to stop a war.”
Johnson labeled Massie’s attempt to impeach Hegseth a “stunt.”
“Secretary Hegseth has done an extraordinary job at the Department of War,” Johnson said.
