Rep. Sara Jacobs challenged a visibly angry Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during military budget hearings Wednesday about whether President Trump is fit to command amid the conflict with Iran.
Noting that San Diego is the largest military community in the country, with thousands of local Navy and Marine personnel deployed the Mideast, Jacobs asked about Trump’s “unhinged” social posts, including the image he shared of himself as Jesus.
“My offices’ phones have been ringing off the hook,” said Jacobs, a Democrat who represents the 51st District. “I’ve heard from so many military families concerned about the president’s mental fitness and whether he’s fit to serve as our commander-in-chief given that he’s sending their loved ones into harm’s way.”
I asked Secretary Hegseth a straightforward, yes or no question today: Is Donald Trump mentally stable enough to be Commander in Chief?
— Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (@RepSaraJacobs) April 29, 2026
He didn't say yes. And that speaks volumes. pic.twitter.com/ncWhEBAX9r
“It pains me to even have to ask this about our president,” said Jacobs. “Do you believe that the president is mentally stable enough to be commander-in-chief?”
An angry Hegseth quickly responded, “Did you ask the same question to Joe Biden for four years?”
“I won’t even engage in the level of disparagement that you’re putting on the commander-in- chief,” he said, adding later that Trump is an “incredible commander-in-chief who puts our troops first.”
In hearings on Wednesday and Thursday, members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees delved into the Trump administration’s 2027 military budget proposal, which would boost defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion.
While Republicans focused on the details of military budgeting and voiced support for the Iran operation, Democrats grilled Hegseth about the ballooning costs of the war, the huge drawdown of critical U.S. munitions and the bombing of a school that killed children.
Jacobs ended her questioning by asking if the United States was winning in the conflict.
“13 American troops have died. More that 380 have been wounded. The Stait of Hormuz, which was wide open, is now closed,” she said. “The Iranian regime is still in power. It still has nuclear material.”
“Mr. Secretary, if you think this is what winning looks like, then maybe we should be questioning your mental stability,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
