The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle Congress grills the Defense Secretary about the war and the Pentagon's big budget 'ask'
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Apr 30, 2026 
Joel Payne, Democratic strategist and former senior aide, offers political strategy perspective. David Gura, journalist and economic analyst, parses Fed moves. Alex Wagner, senior political analyst and podcaster, weighs electoral and media fallout. David Rohde, national security reporter, breaks down Iran war developments. They dissect the Pentagon’s $25B cost estimate, shifting war aims, Supreme Court voting-rights ruling, and Fed dissent in short, sharp conversation.
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Pentagon's $25 Billion Price Tag Is Likely Understated
- The Pentagon publicly estimated the Iran war has cost $25 billion so far.
- David Rohde and guests argued that figure likely understates true costs and could be double given depleted expensive munitions and ongoing operations.
Hegseth Hearing Reveals Messaging Chaos And Opaque Strategy
- Pete Hegseth's congressional hearing exposed inconsistent messaging and weak justification for war goals.
- Guests highlighted veterans in Congress asked the toughest questions, revealing administration opacity on casualties, strategy, and costs.
War Costs Dismissed As Political 'Gotcha' While Americans Pay At The Pump
- The administration framed questions about domestic impacts of the war as 'gotcha' instead of answering how higher gas and food prices affect Americans.
- Alex Wagner emphasized the political audacity of requesting massive military funding while cutting social programs.