Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Donald Trump And Pete Hegseth’s Reckless, Escalatory Military Actions In Iran

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke on the Senate floor calling out Pete Hegseth’s unserious leadership and demanding transparency from the Trump administration. Leader Schumer urged Senators to support the bipartisan War Powers Resolution to rein in Trump’s reckless military actions and protect Americans from another costly, endless war in the Middle East. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

The last thing the American people want or need is another war in the Middle East. But if you listened to Secretary Pete Hegseth’s press conference this morning, one thing is crystal clear: America is at war. In his own words, Hegseth said, “we are just getting started.”

You hear that America? Pete Hegseth says another war in the Middle East is just getting started. He suggests more of our sons and daughters will be shipped off to fight in a foreign land. More of our taxpayer dollars will be wasted abroad instead of invested at home.

Hegseth also said, “we are accelerating, not decelerating.” Hegseth said, “more bombers and more fighters are arriving just today.” What is Hegseth even talking about? Are we putting boots on the ground? Are we depleting our strategic munitions reserves? Is there a timeline or limit to our engagement in Iran? We have no clue—because Hegseth is more interested in soundbites than explanations.

And Hegseth said, “death and destruction from the sky all day long.” This is not how an intelligent, prudent, sober-minded military leader speaks. Just the contrast between the serious tone of General Caine, who spoke next to Hegseth, and that of Hegseth—who was almost gleeful about going to war—is stark.

What Hegseth said this morning is embarrassing and childish. So, to anyone around here who thinks we’re not at war, listen to Secretary Hegseth’s press conference. It is little more than microwaved cable news drivel. But what he is saying loud and clear is this: we’re at war, and this administration is signaling more escalation ahead.

This is insanity. Americans just spent the last two decades fighting and dying in the Middle East. And Pete Hegseth says we’re back for more.

How many parents watched their kids ship off and fight and die in Iraq and Afghanistan? How many sleepless nights did families have over the last 20 years, worried about their loved ones? How many headlines did we watch over the decades of troops getting shot down, of convoys being attacked, of wounded soldiers returning home forever scarred by the horrors of war? How many hundreds of billions of dollars were wasted? How much anguish and suffering and grief did America endure? And now Pete Hegseth now says he’d be happy that we are going to do it all over again. He says this new war is just getting started. This is madness.

And we don't even know what the administration’s plan is. I sat yesterday with my Senate colleagues for an all-senators briefing. And let me show you how much clarity we got out of that briefing: zero. Zero. Even after the briefing, we walked away with zero clarity about what Donald Trump’s goal in Iran is.

After our briefing yesterday—and Hegseth’s press conference this morning—it is clear they are widening the war in Iran and I fear now more than ever that we are going to put boots on the ground, and that’s precisely what the American people fear.

We still don’t know how long we will be there. We still don’t know what Donald Trump is even trying to accomplish.

This is not how you conduct foreign policy. This is not how you conduct defense policy.

And the fault for the chaos is entirely with Donald Trump.

Donald Trump is manic. Whatever pops into his head, he says immediately. He picks one plan one day, then he picks the total opposite the other. He doesn't think it through. He doesn't check the facts. And nobody around him has the guts to stand up to him and tell him, Mr. President, you're wrong. He is surrounded by yes men. This is dangerous. Just yesterday, as Trump launches America into a war with Iran, he goes ahead and slams and critiques Zelenskyy and calls him a name—the PT Barnum of Ukraine. This is insane. Donald Trump is manic, blasting one of America’s friends as they fight for survival and making gains against Russian forces. This is insane and certainly not how you conduct foreign policy.

Well, now this body, here in the Senate, we have a chance here in the Senate to say enough to Donald Trump’s military insanity.

Today, the Senate will vote to discharge a bipartisan resolution I'm leading with Senators Kaine, Schiff, Paul, to put a halt to military activity in Iran without congressional approval.

Our resolution is Senate Republicans' chance to put pressure on Donald Trump's manic decision to drag us into war. Americans overwhelmingly oppose war with Iran, and Senate Republicans have a duty to stand up on behalf of the American people by forcing Donald Trump to reverse course.

Today, every senator, every single one, will pick a side: stand with the American people who are exhausted of forever wars in the Middle East, or stand with Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth as they bumble us headfirst into another war. To my colleagues: if you are tired of wars in the Middle East, support our resolution. To my colleagues: if you don’t want America to get dragged into another conflict that spirals out of our control, support our resolution. Take a stand. Do the right thing. Support our resolution.

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