Democratic senators demand answers from Hegseth over reported defense investment inquiry ahead of Iran war

Reporting cited here

1. documented

   Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell called the Financial Times report entirely false and fabricated and demanded a retraction on March 30, 2026.

   Pentagon spokesman's March 30 denial and retraction demand

   Hegseth's broker was reported to have sought a defense-sector ETF purchase before the Iran war · Pentagon denied the report March 30; senators requested records April 1

2. alleged

   ABC News relayed Financial Times reporting that Pete Hegseth's Morgan Stanley broker contacted BlackRock in February 2026 about a multimillion-dollar investment in its Defense Industrials Active ETF; the reported transaction did not proceed because the fund was not yet available to Morgan Stanley clients, and ABC said it had not independently confirmed the report.

   FT report details, unexecuted transaction, and ABC non-confirmation

   Hegseth's broker was reported to have sought a defense-sector ETF purchase before the Iran war · Pentagon denied the report March 30; senators requested records April 1