Pete Hegseth Faces Calls to Be Fired After Pentagon Is Accused of Altering Iran War Death Toll in Cover-Up Bombshell
Pete Hegseth has once again found himself in hot water, this time over the Iran war.
July 24 2026, Published 6:20 p.m. ET
Pete Hegseth is facing calls to be fired after the Pentagon appeared to remove four U.S. soldiers recently killed from its Iran war death toll in a cover-up bombshell, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The department's death tally stood at 18 dead on Wednesday, July 22, but it had suddenly been dropped to 14 the following day.
Iran Death Toll Drops After 'Data Disruptions'
Hegseth is receiving backlash after the Iran war death toll left off four soldiers.
Sources told the New York Times that the four service members killed had been removed from the list because their deaths came after President Trump declared a ceasefire in April.
However, the acting press secretary for the Pentagon, Joel Valdez, claimed the change was due to "temporary data disruptions" on the department's casualty website. He told the outlet the mistake would soon be corrected.
At the time of this publication, the number of casualties remained at 14. Despite the explanation, critics were quick to pounce on Hegseth, as one person raged, "Fire the incompetent secretary."
Another added, "Hegseth has to go," and one went off, "He is pathetic. The entire administration is a disgrace and the most corrupt in US history..."
Death Toll Flub Draws Backlash: 'An Abomination'
The Secretary of Defense is now facing calls to be fired.
"When you put idiots in charge, this is what you get. Veterans and the military need to vote better," a commentator suggested. Even Democratic Senator Chris Murphy launched a verbal attack, labeling the flub an "abomination."
Previously, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash claimed that Trump had not shared Iran war casualty statistics with Congress and that "there has been no transparency from the President or the Pentagon about the full extent of equipment losses and casualty statistics."
Three of the soldiers left off the casualty list included Sergeant Angel S Rampersad, 28; Private Isabella Gonzales, 19; and 1st Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, all of whom died in Iranian strikes in Jordan.
Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, appeared to be removed from the list after being killed in Iraq while disposing of a downed Iranian drone.
Trump Responds to Tragic Deaths
Trump attempted to honor the dead soldiers by claiming 'Americans aren't against the war.'
Earlier this week, Trump spoke to reporters ahead of his trip to Delaware to attend the dignified transfer of the four soldiers and declared, "They are indeed great heroes, actually."
The 80-year-old then claimed the military members had a message from Trump before their deaths: "All of them said very strongly, 'We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon,' so we're going to honor them. And it's one of the hardest things to do. For me, it's one of the hardest things to do as a president. But, has to be done."
Trump was also asked for his thoughts about soldiers dying in a war that the majority of Americans are against, according to the latest polls.
"Americans aren’t against the war," the controversial politician claimed. "Americans don't want high gasoline prices, but they aren’t against the war. That just came out, loud and clear in a poll. Nobody wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon."
Pete Hegseth's Rocky Tenure Revealed
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Hegseth's tenure in the role has had more downs than ups.
As for Hegseth, his time as Secretary of Defense has not gone so well, as it's featured public meltdowns, bizarre speeches about "fat" military troops, and "embarrassing" behavior during classified briefings.
A previous report claimed Trump was considering giving Hegseth a pink slip due to the chaos over his reported pushback on the previous proposed Iran peace deal. Rumors of the U.S. handing over $300billion to Iran for reconstruction, just months after Trump ordered an attack on the country, are said to have ruffled feathers within the administration.
In response, however, the White House shut down the report.
