Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before a House committee this week, where he defended his decisions regarding senior military officers and faced sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers.

During the hearing, Hegseth cited a statistic claiming that President Barack Obama had fired 197 generals during his administration. However, the Pentagon has previously acknowledged this figure as inaccurate, though Hegseth used it to justify his own personnel decisions regarding senior military leadership.

Separately, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., made controversial statements about Hegseth during a CNN interview. Moulton accused the defense secretary of war crimes and drew comparisons to Nazi officials who were prosecuted after World War II. The congressman did not provide specific details about the alleged war crimes during his television appearance.

The exchanges highlight the contentious atmosphere surrounding Hegseth's tenure as defense secretary and reflect broader partisan tensions over military leadership and personnel policies. House Republicans have generally supported Hegseth's approach to military management, while Democrats have raised concerns about his qualifications and decision-making.

Hegseth's appearance before Congress comes as the Pentagon continues to implement various policy changes under the current administration's defense agenda.