‘It takes money to kill the bad guys’

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that the Pentagon’s reported $200 billion budget request for Iran war funding “may move.”

“It takes money to kill bad guys,” Hegseth said at a press conference, when asked to confirm the figure, which was reported by The Washington Post earlier Wednesday evening.

“We’re going back to Congress and our people to make sure we’re properly funded,” Hegseth said.

MS NOW, citing congressional officials, reported Thursday morning that a funding request of up to $200 billion has been floated informally by the administration, though no official request has yet been made.

“$200 billion has been informally discussed by administration officials,” said Sen., who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told MS NOW in a phone interview.

According to Kevin Hassett, director of President Donald Trump’s National Economic Council, U.S. military operations against Iran since February 28 had cost $12 billion through Sunday.

Speaking on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Hassett said at the time he didn’t think there was a need to ask the U.S. Congress for more money for the war effort “right now.”

The Post’s report, citing a senior administration official, said the Pentagon has asked the White House to approve a request to Congress for more than $200 billion.

Three other people familiar with the matter told the Post that the massive figure would be used to boost production of critical munitions used by the US and Israel to hit thousands of targets since the conflict began.

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