Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signaled there are plans at the ready to deploy more troops within the U.S. while defending President Donald Trump mobilizing troops to Los Angeles.
The Pentagon chief appeared on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee where he was grilled by Democratic senators over the president’s use of Marines and the National Guard in response to anti-ICE protests.
It came after Trump over the weekend called for the expansion of deportations and specifically singled out Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.
Some 4,000 members of the National Guard and 700 Marines were deployed to Los Angeles last week over the objection of the governor, mayor and local law enforcement officials.
The use of active troops on U.S. streets was first brought up in Wednesday’s hearing by Senator Richard Blumenthal, who asked if there were contingency plans to use active duty military in other cities besides Los Angeles, but Hegseth sidestepped the question.
“We are deeply disturbed and alarmed that ICE offers are being attacked while doing their jobs in any city in America, so allowing National Guard... ” he said before being cut off.
“We ought to be equally alarmed by the illegal use of active Marines or other military,” Blumenthal counted. “I take it from your answer that you do have contingency plans for the use of military in other cities.”
The defense secretary only responded that the administration has never “and will not illegally deploy troops” but Blumenthal pointed out that there has been no legal justification.
When it was her turn to question Hegseth, Senator Elizabeth Warren went further on the subject and asked if Trump wanted to deploy troops to 15 U.S. cities, would he carry out the order.
Hegseth argued he would not accept the hypothetical and said he would not box himself in, leading to an intense back and forth.
“Is there a number at which sending those troops to Los Angeles or Chicago or New York starts to undermine our ability to defend ourselves around the globe?” Warren asked.
“Senator, we look at capabilities and readiness around the globe all the time and we’re quite satisfied without capabilities to defend the homeland,” Hegseth said.
He claimed they had done the analysis to figure out how many troops can be deployed domestically, but he would not give a specific number.
“We’ve got contingencies and plans for any number of capabilities should governors be unable as Governor Gavin Newsom has been to actually secure his own federal agents in their cities,” he said, insisting “limited contingencies inside the United States to protect federal law enforcement is doable.”
During the hearing, Hegseth also signaled he would ignore a lower court order to remove troops if directed by the president.
“I don’t believe district courts should be setting national security policy,” Hegseth told Senator Mazie Hirono. “When it goes to the Supreme Court, we’ll see.”
Asked later by Warren about being ordered by the Supreme Court to remove troops, Hegseth repeated that district courts should not determine national security policy but said the administration would abide by an order from the country’s highest court.
In light of the deployment of troops, Hirono also repeated a question she first brought up during Hegseth’s confirmation in January where he indicated he was open to carrying out an order from the president to shoot protesters in the legs.
The question stemmed from former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who served during Trump’s first term, claiming the president asked about shooting protesters around the White House in the legs after the killing of George Floyd, but Hegseth would not answer the question.
“I reject the premise of your question and the characterization that I would be given or are given unlawful orders. It’s all an attempt to smear the Commander in Chief. I won’t fall for it,” the Pentagon chief argued.
Senator Elissa Slotkin also begged Hegseth to answer whether he had given the order that the military could shoot at unarmed protesters and admonished him “don’t laugh.”
The Michigan senator said the question was based on Hegseth’s predecessor Esper writing about such an order in his book. She told Hegseth to his face that Esper had “more guts and balls than you.”
“I want the answer to be no, please tell me it’s no. Have you given the order?” Slotkin pressed.
Hegseth refused to answer but told her “I’d be careful what you read in books and believing it, except for the bible.”
