Senate committee grills Hegseth on protests and the Middle East
1 of 3 | Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth denied ordering troops to shoot Los Angeles protesters during a Senate Armed Services Committee budget hearing at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
June 18 (UPI) -- Some members of the Senate Armed Forces Committee and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sparred over Los Angeles troop deployments and the Israel-Iran war during a hearing on Wednesday morning.
Hegseth appeared before the committee to answer questions about the proposed $961.6 billion Fiscal Year 2026 defense budget, but the questioning quickly turned to current events.
Sen. Elise Slotkin, D-Mich., said Hegseth deployed 4,700 military personnel to Los Angeles and asked if he had "authorized uniformed military to detain or arrest protesters" there.
"You're not a protester if you are throwing concrete at law enforcement officers," Hegseth responded.
Slotkin agreed "100%," and said, "Throw them in jail," before adding, "What you're doing is something different."
She again asked if Hegseth gave an order for 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines to "detain or arrest" protesters in Los Angeles.
Hegseth said his orders to the troops in Los Angeles are a matter of public record and they are there to protect law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents while they try to do their jobs.
"If necessary, in their own self-defense, they could temporarily detain or hand over to ICE, but there's no arresting going on," Hegseth said.
"You know this better than anyone," he told Slotkin and accused her of "playing political games."
Slotkin also asked Hegseth if he had "given the order ... to be able to shoot at unarmed protesters in any way."
Hegseth asked what basis Slotkin had to ask the question and what evidence she had to suggest such an order ever had been given.
Slotkin cited a book written by former Defense Secretary Mark Esper in which Esper said he rejected a similar order by President Donald Trump in 2020.
"Senator, I'd be careful what you read in books and believing it, except the Bible," Hegseth responded.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., chastised Hegseth for the troop deployments in Los Angeles and for discussing pending military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in Signal chats.
"I wonder when you will actually focus on our nation's warfighting mission," Duckworth said. "We know that California is just a deliberate, systematic, political and dangerous campaign led by you."
When Duckworth asked if Hegseth plans to remove troops from Los Angeles, he said he will respect a federal appellate court's decision allowing the deployments and not a district court judge's decision against them.
Democratic Party Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire asked Hegseth if Trump had ordered him to create options for military strikes in the Middle East.
Hegseth declined to answer Shaheen's question.
"If I had or had not, I wouldn't disclose that in this forum, senator," Hegseth told Shaheen.
Hegseth and Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., also exchanged barbs as the senator asked if he would fire a staffer who is accused of making anti-Semitic comments.
Rosen cited comments attributed to Defense Department press secretary Kingsley Wilson.
"Since I don't believe the characterization of many officials in the news media, I would need to see precisely what's being characterized," Hegseth responded.
Hegseth said Wilson "does a fantastic job" and accused Rosen of engaging in hyperbole.
Rosen then accused Hegseth of not being "serious" about "rooting out [and] fighting anti-Semitism within the ranks of the Department of Defense."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Who's who in the secret group advising Trump on Iran - who has been left out of the planning?
President Donald Trump let it be known on Thursday that he will make a decision on whether to involve the U.S. in Israel's war with Iran within the next two weeks, as tensions over the question continue to divide conservatives. The president, who signed off on attack plans on Tuesday but resisted giving the go-ahead, is reportedly taking soundings from a small coterie of trusted advisers while also throwing the conversation open to fellow world leaders, as well as allies such as the hawkish Republican senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Tom Cotton of Arkansas. Outside of his inner circle, MAGA personalities Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Steve Bannon, and Candace Owens have been speaking out against the prospect of the U.S. wading into another prolonged Middle Eastern war. At the same time, other Trump cheerleaders on Capitol Hill and the media have made the case for intervention. Here's a look at the people Trump is listening to, according to NBC News. Vice President Vance has previously struck a non-interventionist posture on foreign wars, notably opposing American support for Ukraine. He appears to favor a diplomatic solution to the dispute with Iran, applauding Trump for showing 'remarkable restraint' and making the safety of American troops and assets his top priority. The president's White House Chief of Staff and former campaign manager is known as the 'Ice Maiden' and regarded as an important restraining presence, in place to shield Trump from his own worst instincts. A senior adviser and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Miller is known as an anti-immigration hardliner and one of the faces of Trump's mass deportation push. A regular talking head on conservative media loathed by liberals, Miller has reportedly been nicknamed 'Weird Stephen' behind the scenes by the president, which does not suggest he commands the level of respect to which he aspires. Once a bitter enemy of Trump and rival for the Republican nomination, the Secretary of State now has such a full plate he has been dubbed the 'Secretary of Everything.' Rubio was out quickly last week to deny American involvement in Israel's initial onslaught but has since largely left the public messaging to the president. Trump's Middle East envoy, like him, a former luxury real estate developer, has led talks with both Israel and Iran since taking office earlier this year and, like Rubio, has cut a busy figure, also serving as the president's de facto liaison with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The lieutenant general serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff boasts the tough-guy nickname 'Razin' Caine' and previously served as a counterterrorism specialist to George W. Bush's Homeland Security Council. He reportedly first befriended Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2019 and impressed him by suggesting that Isis could be stamped out within a week. 'One week? I was told two years!' Trump marvelled. The head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is a career army officer who also has a cool nickname, 'The Gorilla.' He has reportedly been granted an unprecedented amount of leeway by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. He has seen an increasing allocation of resources to his areas of responsibility, which include the Middle East. The CIA Director is an influential voice, having also served in the first Trump administration. He was previously a Texas congressman and a mayor of a small town. Two names conspicuous by their absence from that list are Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell has pushed back against the suggestion that Hegseth has been sidelined. 'This claim is completely false,' he told NBC. 'The secretary is speaking with the president multiple times a day, and has been with the president in the Situation Room this week. 'Secretary Hegseth is providing the leadership the Department of Defense and our Armed Forces need, and he will continue to work diligently in support of President Trump's peace through strength agenda.' Trump is meanwhile reported to have fallen out with Gabbard for going 'off-message' after she posted a video on X attacking the 'political elite and warmongers' for 'carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers' and placing the world 'on the brink of nuclear annihilation.' Asked by CNN's Kaitlan Collins aboard Air Force One about Gabbard's statement to Congress in March that, although Iran's enriched uranium levels are at an all-time high, the expert opinion is that Tehran is not currently seeking to develop a nuclear bomb. 'I don't care what she said,' the president snapped. 'I think they were very close to having a weapon.' One Trump supporter to deny any involvement in Trump's discussions about the conflict is MAGA die-hard Laura Loomer, who attacked former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson on X on Thursday night for reporting that she was playing an advisory role, dismissing the claim as 'fake news.'
CNBC
37 minutes ago
- CNBC
Israel's economy minister: Focused on making sure Iran never has the capabilities of nukes
Israel Minster of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the latest developments in the Israel-Iran conflict, what Israel hopes to achieve in its campaign against Iran, the role of U.S. going forward, and more.
Boston Globe
40 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Pro-Palestinian activists say they damaged planes on a UK air force base
The activists left the base without being detained, Palestine Action said. The group said in a statement that 'despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets.' It called the U.K. 'an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East.' Britain's Ministry of Defense confirmed the incident, saying: 'We strongly condemn this vandalism of Royal Air Force assets.' Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the vandalism 'disgraceful' in a post on X. Advertisement The government said two planes were being checked for damage, and that the vandalism had not stopped any planned aircraft movements or operations. 'A full security review is underway at Brize Norton,' Starmer's office said. 'We are reviewing security across the whole defense estate.' Planes from Brize Norton, 70 miles northwest of London, regularly fly to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Britain's main air base for operations in the Middle East. The U.K. has sent more Typhoon fighter jets and Voyager tankers to Cyprus since the Israel-Iran war started a week ago for what Starmer called 'contingency support.' Advertisement Iran has threatened to attack US, French and British bases in the region if those countries help Israel fend off Iranian strikes. Thames Valley Police said in a statement that it had 'received a report of people gaining access to RAF Brize Norton and causing criminal damage.' Officers were working with staff at the base and the Ministry of Defense Police to arrest the perpetrators, the force said.
