Hegseth hearing live: Defense Secretary grilled on LA protest deployment, Ukraine and ‘warrior ethos’
Hegseth appeared in front of the House Committee on Appropriations in the Subcommittee on Defense
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testified on Capitol Hill on Tuesday in the first of several hearings during the next week, in which he was grilled on the use of troops to quell protests in Los Angeles, funding for Ukraine’s war effort against Russia, and his repeated use of the phrase “warrior ethos.”
Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur told Hegseth: “When I hear warrior ethos, and I hear it a lot from you, Mr. Secretary, I'm concerned.”
“All the soldiers in our family, all of whom fought and received medals for their combat service, call themselves soldiers,” she added.
Hegseth refused to reveal the cost of the deployment of troops to Los Angeles, instead delegating the question to his special assistant, Bryn MacDonnell.
"The current estimated cost is $134 million, which is largely just TDY cost, travel, housing, food, etc,” she said.
Asked about support for the Ukraine security assistance initiative, Hegseth said there will be a “reduction in this budget.”
“This administration takes a very different view of that conflict,” he added. “We believe a negotiated, peaceful settlement is in the best interest of both parties and our nation's interests, especially with all the competing interests around the globe.”
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Hegseth tells Congress his ‘war fighters’ are primed for ‘lethality’ ... as he sends them to face American protesters
Richard Hall writes:
Pete Hegseth’s first congressional hearing as Defense Secretary was supposed to focus on budgetary matters, but the former soldier was not going to miss an opportunity to strike fear into the hearts of America’s enemies — in this case, a few hundred protesters in Los Angeles.
In his opening statement to the House Appropriations subcommittee, Hegseth delivered a made-for-Hollywood monologue about the U.S. military’s new “warrior ethos,” one that is focused squarely on “war fighting” and “lethality.”
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Hegseth boasts about the ‘lethality’ of his ‘war fighters’ as he sends them to L.A.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth clashed with House Democrats on Tuesday as he defended President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles despite California leaders’ objections.
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