Pete Hegseth

Watch what went down.

Let's play this clip.

Let's talk about what defenses they had.

Prior to the attack, officers on the ground knew our troops were vulnerable.

In fact, they requested additional force protection.

Did they receive it?

Wherever humanly possible, force protection and counter UAS was always made available.

They did not.

In fact, when asked to describe the base's defense, one survivor who's come forward from the unit said, quote, I mean, I would put it in the none category.

From a drone defense capability, none.

So let's be clear, no counter drone capabilities, no counter rocket systems, no counter mortar or counter artillery, not even the basic overhead protection that you and I had 20 years ago in Iraq, and now six of our soldiers are dead.

The next day, you downplayed the attack.

You said it was a squirter that squeaked through fortified defenses.

But since then, thankfully, brave survivors have come forward to set the record straight.

One of our surviving soldiers told CBS, quote, painting a picture that one squeaked through is a falsehood.

Another said the unit was, quote, unprepared to provide any defense for itself.

It was not a fortified position.

Another survivor said the building's protection was about as weak as one gets.

Secretary Hegseth, that is obviously in direct contradiction to what you said from the Pentagon podium the next day.

So are you saying that these soldiers, our soldiers, who survived this horrific attack are lying?