Trump and Hegseth Blame BIDEN for Ballooning Cost of Iran War

Summary of Trump and Hegseth Blame BIDEN for Ballooning Cost of Iran War

by Crooked Media

20m•July 22, 2026
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Overview of Runaway Country on the Iran War Funding Fight

This rapid-response episode of Runaway Country breaks down Pete Hegseth’s trip to Congress to request roughly $80 billion in supplemental funding for the ongoing Iran war, while Donald Trump publicly insisted that Iran has been “decimated” and urged lawmakers to trust the administration’s strategy. Host and guest Sabrina Siddiqui of The Wall Street Journal argue that the administration’s messaging is undercut by the war’s continued costs, unclear endgame, and the political risks of asking Congress for more money while blaming Joe Biden for the situation.

Main Takeaways

  • Hegseth sought a massive funding boost

    • The Pentagon is asking Congress for about $87.6 billion in supplemental funds, with most of it tied to the Iran conflict.
    • Hegseth disclosed that the war has already cost $37.5 billion, which the hosts note is the first public Pentagon estimate of total cost so far.

  • The true cost is likely higher

    • The figure Hegseth gave reportedly does not include rebuilding damaged U.S. bases in the Middle East.
    • Independent analysts are said to believe the total price tag is significantly higher than the number the Pentagon shared.

  • Trump’s “Iran is decimated” claim clashes with reality

    • Trump told reporters he believed Iran had been badly weakened and implied the U.S. was close to victory.
    • The episode argues that this rhetoric is hard to square with:
      • ongoing hostilities,
      • U.S. troop casualties,
      • and the fact that the Pentagon is still asking for billions more.

  • The administration has no clear endgame

    • Sabrina Siddiqui says lawmakers are asking the obvious questions:
      • What is the long-term strategy?
      • How much damage has actually been done to Iran’s capabilities?
      • How does the war end?
    • The transcript emphasizes that the conflict keeps cycling between “ceasefire” and renewed fighting.

  • Republicans may support the money, but not necessarily the argument

    • The guests note that congressional Republicans are often reluctant to oppose the administration outright.
    • Still, they suggest many Republicans privately may not find the case persuasive, especially given narrow majorities and rising public skepticism.

The Biden-Blame Strategy

Hegseth’s core argument

Hegseth repeatedly framed the funding need as a consequence of Biden-era neglect and “woke” Pentagon priorities, claiming the previous administration failed to invest properly in military readiness and key technologies like hypersonics.

The pushback

  • Democrats, including Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Jack Reed, dismissed the Biden-blame line as an excuse.
  • Reed called it a “very, very obvious excuse” for what he characterized as gross negligence.
  • The hosts point out that this framing is politically weak because:
    • the war was launched by the Trump administration,
    • Biden is no longer in office,
    • and voters are responding to current conditions, not past budgeting fights.

Political Risks Heading Into the Midterms

  • The war is described as deeply unpopular with the public.
  • The transcript cites polling showing nearly 70% of Americans do not think the Iran war is worth fighting.
  • The conflict is also tied to:
    • gas prices,
    • inflation and cost of living concerns,
    • and the broader question of whether Republicans can defend their majorities.
  • The hosts suggest that even if Congress approves the spending, it may not solve the political problem for the White House.

What Could Change Next

  • The administration appears to be signaling it may be preparing for an even wider conflict.
  • The biggest variable is U.S. casualties:
    • If the number of American service members killed or injured rises substantially, public opinion could turn even more sharply against the war.
  • The episode suggests the White House is facing a choice between:
    • escalating further,
    • or attempting a diplomatic off-ramp that would require both sides to move on key demands.

Notable Insight

  • The hosts repeatedly stress that the administration is trying to have it both ways:
    • claiming victory by saying Iran has been crushed,
    • while simultaneously asking for huge sums of money to keep fighting.
  • Their central point: you can’t declare success and request emergency war funding at the same time without creating credibility problems.

Bottom Line

The episode frames the Iran war as a costly, politically dangerous conflict with no clear resolution. Hegseth’s attempt to blame Biden for the budget shortfall is portrayed as a weak defense, especially since the public is already skeptical of the war and concerned about its economic fallout.