The defense secretary is caught giving Congress war-cost numbers far below the Pentagon's own internal figures — bad news for taxpayers footing the bill.

• Hegseth told senators the Iran war has cost $37.5 billion, but the Pentagon's own internal estimate runs $80–100 billion.
• He's asking Congress for tens of billions more even after publicly declaring Iran "destroyed" and the war won.
• The military just passed a near-trillion-dollar budget yet still can't pass an audit or account for the money.
• Gas prices are up because the Strait of Hormuz stayed shut after the war started, and most Trump voters now blame the conflict.
• The war is losing support even inside Trump's base, with many wanting out regardless of cost heading into the midterms.

Outlook: House Republicans are pushing to hand the Pentagon even more than it asked for, so spending on the unpopular Iran war looks set to keep climbing.