Democrat Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) excused the Iranian regime's "Death to America" chants as nothing but simple rhetoric as the Secretary of War Pete Hegseth faces a second day of grilling on Capitol Hill.
Democrat Senator Kirsten Gillibrand defends the terrorist Iranian regime.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 30, 2026
HEGSETH: “Do you not believe them when they say 'Death to America?'”
GILLIBRAND: “Our adversaries use rhetoric all the time...” pic.twitter.com/z5X4KZUgu0
"There's no evidence that we are safer because of this war," Sen. Gillibrand said. "We did not have any evidence that Iran intended to imminently attack this country in any way, shape or form. So I disagree with your assessment that we were under threat."
"Do you not believe them when they say death to America?" Secretary Hegseth asked.
"Listen, our adversaries use rhetoric all the time," she replied.
And yet she likely wouldn’t extend President Trump the same kind of leeway, as Democrats often take his “rhetoric” seriously even when he is clearly joking. The idea that the Iranian regime would be treated more leniently than the President of the United States is an astounding irony that’s hard to ignore.
The regime has regularly taken action against the United States and its military forces, particularly through proxy groups such as Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and other militant organizations across the region. These networks are often used to carry out indirect attacks, destabilize U.S. allies, and expand the regime’s influence. In 2023, the Iran-backed group Hamas did not distinguish between Israelis and Americans, killing more than 40 people and kidnapping others.
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The suggestion that the regime's “rhetoric” is just that is not only inaccurate but demonstrably false.
This comes as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday for the first time since Operation Epic Fury was launched. On Wednesday, he testified before the House Armed Services Committee, defending the Trump administration’s actions in Iran and maintaining that Iran posed a threat to the United States, and that the approach taken by the administration was a necessary move.
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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