Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  Harris faces scrutiny over defense credentialsVice President Harris’s credentials to become the nation’s commander in chief are coming under scrutiny as the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran threatens to break out into a wider war in the Middle East.© AP The prospect of the winner of November’s election being a wartime president is becoming more real after Iran sent more than 180 ballistic missiles into Israel on Tuesday — a day after the U.S. released video of a Russian fighter jet coming within feet of colliding with an American F-16 just off the Alaskan coast last month.  Both candidates have largely focused on domestic issues, though former President Trump has begun to turn up the heat on Harris over foreign policy and defense, seeking to get voters to question the vice president’s ability to handle a world in turmoil.  Trump warned Tuesday that “the world right now is spiraling out of control” and accused “a non-existent president and our Vice President, who should be in charge” of “going to fundraisers in San Francisco” instead of prioritizing national security. The former president has repeatedly argued that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Hamas attack on Israel a year ago would not have happened if he were president. His running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), doubled down on that idea during Tuesday’s vice presidential debate, arguing that when Trump was president, he projected “effective deterrence” by making U.S. enemies not want to risk striking out.  Some polls have pointed to a weakness for Harris on defense and foreign policy.  A CNN/SSRS poll of more than 2,000 registered voters nationwide conducted Sept. 19-22 found Trump leading Harris on the question of who would best handle foreign policy, 47 percent to 38 percent. Among likely voters, 47 percent trust Trump more on foreign policy, while 40 percent trust Harris more.  It’s a shift from four years ago, when Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden led Trump on the same question, 54 percent to 42 percent.  Harris’s campaign has pushed back at the Trump case by noting that more than 700 national security officials last month signed a letter endorsing her, including former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), who served as secretary of Defense in the Obama administration.  A number of Republicans seen as hawkish on national defense have come out in support of Harris, including, in a somewhat head-spinning turn, former Vice President Dick Cheney. Trump, for his part, has long criticized the policies of former President George W. Bush’s administration, particularly its handling of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Trump’s campaign, meanwhile, is stepping up attacks on the Biden-Harris administration’s Iran policy by putting a spotlight on the billions of dollars in revenues Iran collected by exporting oil because of weak sanctions enforcement. Read the full report at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future:  Biden opposes Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sitesPresident Biden said Wednesday that he does not support Israel carrying out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as the U.S. and its allies mull additional sanctions against Tehran. “The answer is no,” Biden told reporters at Joint Base Andrews when asked about the possibility of Israel launching retaliatory strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program. “All seven of us agree that they have a right to respond, but they …  Full Story  Trump remark about US troop injuries in Iraq ‘obviously not accurate’: EsperFormer Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday that former President Trump’s recent remarks downplaying U.S. troop brain injuries in Iraq are “obviously not accurate.” “Yeah, that’s, that’s obviously not accurate,” he responded when asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins if the former defense official saw those brain injuries as just “headaches.”  Esper, who served in the Trump administration, pointed …  Full Story  Israel announces deaths of 8 soldiers in LebanonEight Israeli soldiers were killed Wednesday in a series of clashes with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, according to the Israeli military. Five members of a commando unit were killed and five others were seriously wounded in a gun fight with Hezbollah operatives in a southern Lebanon village, The Times of Israel reported.    One member of the engineering corps and another two members of a reconnaissance unit were also killed …  Full Story  Ukrainian forces announce withdrawal from Vuhledar Ukrainian forces have announced a withdrawal from the eastern town of Vuhledar after more than two years of fighting against an encroaching Russian army. A Ukrainian military force in the eastern Donetsk region, Khortytsia, said in a Telegram post Wednesday the higher military command ordered forces to withdraw to “preserve personnel and combat equipment” and “take a position for further actions.” “In …  Full Story   On Our Radar  Upcoming things we're watching on our beat:  President Biden will host a leader-level meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group to coordinate with international partners on additional assistance for Ukraine in Germany on Saturday.   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill:DHS warns of risks around Oct. 7, November election in annual threat assessment The 2024 election and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East are among the elements contributing to a high threat level in the U.S. going into 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) concluded in its annual threat assessment. The report falls just days ahead of the first anniversary of the … Full Story   On Tap Tomorrow  Events in and around the defense world:  Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service's Center for Contemporary Arab Studies will discuss “Israel’s Attacks on Lebanon: To What End?” at 12:30 p.m. The Center for Strategic and International Studies will host a conversation on “The National Reconnaissance Office Story,” with National Reconnaissance Office Director Christopher Scolese at 1 p.m.   Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley will speak at Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service on “Reflections on Running” at 6:30 p.m.    What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: Trump reignites controversy over calling troops' brain injuries 'headaches' (Military.com) Judge grants families of Lewiston shooting victims access to gunman’s military medical records (Portland Press Herald) No more late-night off-base drinking for US troops in Japan (Military Times)  Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: 5 things to know about the port strike Dockworkers and longshoremen in East Coast ports are now on strike in a major labor action with real consequences for the U.S. and international economy. … Read more Jack Smith makes case for Trump Jan. 6 prosecution in wake of immunity decision Special counsel Jack Smith laid out the pathway for his election interference case against former President Trump in the wake of the Supreme Court’s … Read more  Opinions in The Hill Op-ed related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: Stop building China’s military with US tax dollars  You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Defense and National Security newsletter Subscribe