
Congress grills the Defense Secretary about the war and the Pentagon's big budget 'ask'
From The 11th Hour with Ali Velshi by MS NOW, Ali Velshi
April 30, 2026 · 42 min · Episode 260429
About this episode
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth answers Congress's questions about the Iran War and its costs, while the Supreme Court impacts the Voting Rights Act and the Federal Reserve maintains interest rates amidst dissent.
On tonight’s Nightcap: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces questions from Congress for the first time since the Iran War, and gives the first public estimate of how much the war has cost. Then, the Supreme Court deals a blow to the Voting Rights Act, striking down a Louisiana congressional map. Plus, the Federal Reserve holds rates steady, but the decision comes with the highest level of dissent in 30 years. David Rohde, Alex Wagner, David Gura, and Joel Payne join The 11th Hour this Wednesday night.
People in this episode
Host: Stephanie Ruhle
Guests: Pete Hegseth, David Rohde, Alex Wagner, David Gura, Joel Payne
Topics covered
- Congress
- Defense Secretary
- Iran War
- Voting Rights
- Federal Reserve
- Budget
Keywords
- Defense Secretary
- Congress
- Iran War
- Voting Rights Act
- Federal Reserve
- budget
- Supreme Court
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Supreme Court, Federal Reserve
More episodes of The 11th Hour with Ali Velshi
- Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire Democratic Senate primary · September 9, 2026 · 41 min
- Trump files appeal to allow mail-in ballot restrictions · September 8, 2026 · 41 min
- Trump appeals new mail voting rule to the Supreme Court again · September 4, 2026 · 42 min
- Trump inserts himself into GOP campaign for the midterms · September 3, 2026 · 40 min
- Primary night in Massachusetts · September 2, 2026 · 42 min
- U.S. and Iran renew hostilities after one month pause · September 1, 2026 · 41 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The 11th Hour with Ali Velshi podcast page.