Hegseth criticized for locking Democrats out of closed-door defense budget talks

Republican lawmakers express concern after US defense secretary repeatedly excluded Democrats from briefings US politics live – latest updates Republican senators have criticized the Pentagon for locking Democrats out of classified briefings on defense spending, warning that Pete Hegseth’s approach could jeopardize passage of Donald Trump’s record $1.5tn military budget increase. The US defense secretary has made at least two trips to Capitol Hill in recent weeks to pitch the budget, but has…