Rep. Crow Discusses Democratic Midterm Agenda and Vows to Pursue Hegseth's Ouster on Face the Nation

Rep. Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat, said on CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, that ousting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would be his top priority if Democrats retake the House majority. Crow, who sits on the Intelligence Committee and is battleground chair for House Democrats, spoke from Denver with host Margaret Brennan. Asked about a memo from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton saying Iran has stepped up efforts to target U.S. personnel, with lethal plots at advanced stages in the Middle East and other countries, Crow said Iran remains a danger. He called Hegseth incompetent and said he is not doing what is needed to protect service members. Crow also called Russia's Vladimir Putin the primary supporter of Iran, saying Russia provides intelligence and targeting help, and he raised Steve Witkoff's meeting with Putin in the past two weeks. Earlier, Brennan cited CBS polling showing Democrats on pace for a House majority of about 11 seats, with many of their voters motivated more by stopping Trump and GOP policies. Crow replied that Democrats are running on affordability, including bills, health care, housing and groceries, and would act on those if in power in January.

Right-leaning Breitbart headlines the story with Crow's Hegseth remark, uses the title "Secretary of War," and centers the exchange on Iran and national security, leaving out the polling and affordability discussion. CBS News, on the left, publishes the interview as a transcript with a neutral headline. It opens with the polling and Crow's answer on pocketbook issues and his role recruiting candidates. Both outlets carry Crow's words in Brennan's interview, so the facts do not conflict; they differ in which part they foreground. Alternative and independent outlets had not reported the story when these articles were collected, while left-leaning and right-leaning outlets had. Those covering it focus on Crow's midterm message and on his Hegseth pledge.