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‘Worse than Iranian state media’: SecWar Hegseth rejects WaPo ‘LIE’ about troop deaths

September 19, 2026 | | Print Article

War Secretary Pete Hegseth angrily denied a Washington Post report that the Pentagon has underreported U.S. troop deaths in the Iran war,

In a Friday report that was pounced on by war critics, the paper states that “more American service members have died in the Middle East during the ongoing Iran war than the Pentagon has disclosed publicly,” and that there have been “at least 22 military fatalities” in the conflict, four more than what appears in the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS), the Pentagon’s public database.

The WaPo cites the now customary anonymous sources in “six U.S. officials familiar with the Defense Department’s internal casualty accounting data” as the basis for the report. The paper adds that “a sixth official, who like the others spoke on the condition of anonymity” put the death toll at 23 since President Donald J. Trump gave the order to attack on February 28.

“This is DISGUSTING and FAKE. A complete LIE,” Hegseth wrote in a Friday post to X, rebutting the paper’s reporting.

“Shame on the Washington Post — they’re worse than Iranian state media,” the Pentagon chief added, likening the Post to the ayatollah’s propagandists.

“Details surrounding the undisclosed deaths – including the service members’ identities, as well as when, how and where they died – remain unclear,” the paper reported. “Officials familiar with the higher casualty number expressed frustration that the additional loss of life is not reflected in the Pentagon’s public casualty portal.”

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The paper defended its reporting.

“We stand by this exclusive report, which cites six U.S. officials familiar with the Defense Department’s accounting data,” WaPo spokesperson Olivia Petersen said in a statement.

“As noted in our story, the Pentagon declined to address questions from The Post about the accounting discrepancy,” she added.

Petersen did not address Hegseth’s likening of the paper to the Islamic Republic’s state media.

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Democrats are already using the Post report to attack Hegseth who was facing an impeachment vote before Speaker Mike Johnson unexpectedly sent lawmakers home until after the midterms this week.

“Pete Hegseth is covering up the deaths of American servicemembers and contractors,” wailed Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), a member of the “Seditious Six” Democrat lawmakers who called for military members to disobey “illegal” orders from Trump and Hegseth last year.

“It’s a betrayal of the men & women who have served and sacrificed for our country,” Crow wrote on X. “I’m leading a new bill to prevent the Pentagon from manipulating government data on troop casualties.”

Hegseth’s scathing rebuttal of the WaPo came on the same day that Trump announced that “fake news” outlets CNN, MS NOW and Politico have been banned from the White House, and the Secretary of War hailed the move.

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“The Department of War fully supports President Trump’s decision to kick CNN, MSN̶B̶C̶NOW and Politico to the curb so they can publish their Fake News from outside the White House,” he said in a statement posted to social media.

“We are grateful these outlets already chose to self-deport from the Pentagon. They endangered our troops with false stories, leaks, and trafficked in fiction and lies about the President, our Warriors, and their mission,” Hegseth added.

Chris Donaldson
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