Trump says US needs more money to fund Iran war; Hegseth: 'It takes money to kill bad guys'

Record ID: 2367466

  • Title: Trump says US needs more money to fund Iran war; Hegseth: 'It takes money to kill bad guys'
  • Date: 19th March 2026
  • Summary: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (MARCH 19, 2026) (UNRESTRICTED POOL) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, MEETING IN THE OVAL OFFICE WITH JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, SANAE TAKAICHI (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, RESPONDING TO JOURNALIST, SAYING: JOURNALIST [OFF CAMERA]: “If the war is almost over, why is the Pentagon going to ask Congress for an additional $200 bi
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Congress Hegseth Iran Iran war Pentagon Trump budget
  • Location: WASHINGTON D.C. & ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: WASHINGTON D.C. & ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Defence,North America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001569419032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (March 19) the U.S. needed more funding for a "lot of reasons" amid the Iran war when asked about a media report that Pentagon was seeking $200 billion for the conflict.
    “It's a small price to pay to make sure that we stay tippy-top,” Trump said to reporters as he met in the White House with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. 
    Speaking at a Pentagon press briefing earlier in the day, Secretary of Defense (referred to Secretary of War by the Trump administration), Pete Hegseth defended the request for additional funding, saying: “It takes money to kill bad guys.” 
    “So we're going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we're properly funded for what's been done, for what we may have to do in the future,” Hegseth added. 
    (Production: Ashraf Fahim)
  • Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register