Hegseth may also face questions about the costly military parade set for June 14th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb_2y71lmng
WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Pete Hegses is facing the first time he’s faced questions from Congress since taking over at the Pentagon. Several Capitol Hill hearings starting June 10th promise clashes with Democrat lawmakers and his leaked signal messages, his war with Day, the recent deployment of forces to the Los Angeles protests, and a costly military parade set in Washington, D.C. on June 14th.
Former Fox News host Hegseth was last confronted the senator at a confirmation hearing in January when a senator on the Armed Services Committee burned him about his report of allegations of heavy drinking and sexual assault and the view that women should not serve in combat roles.
After Hegses, who operated the Pentagon for nearly six months, lawmakers have more feed to questions, including overturning Hegses’ military diversity initiative, firing high-ranking women, using signals to send messages to Yemen’s plan of attack, and announcing 700 Marines to Los Angeles to protest the royal family.
Hegseth testifies alongside General Dan Caine, chairman of the co-director. His first hearing was at the House Approvals Committee, a budget hearing at 9:30am on June 10th, but sparks could fly considering all that has happened in recent weeks.
Follow us to play back what’s going on at the hearing.
Regarding what Democrat Mercy Kaptur, who represents Ohio, is doing to “not turn away” in Ukraine, Hegzes said his goal is to achieve peace.
He said there was a need to “clear the meaning of victory” in the war in Ukraine.
“Have you visited Ukraine?” Captor fought back.
Heggs said that wasn’t the case.
Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democrat from Minnesota, pushed Hegses over the recent military deployment in response to protests over ice arrests in Los Angeles.
“This is a very unfair position to put our Marines in,” she said she deployed the Pentagon’s 700 Marines a day ago to the area.
Hegses sparked the 2020 Black Life Matter protest, with Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz saying “we abandoned the police precincts and allowed them to burn to the ground.”
“President Trump is aware of that situation and it was improperly handled by the governor, as it was by Governor Waltz… if it gets out of control, it’s a bad situation for citizens everywhere.”
Hegseth said he and the chairman of co-director Dan Caine will discuss Ukrainian unmanned attacks on Russia and how the US could avoid similar attacks.
Hegseth said the Pentagon is considering increasing counter-drone systems, and the “Golden Dome,” the Trump administration’s multi-billion dollar missile defense program, will contribute.
“I think it’s a bold move and it represents a new and different way of fighting war,” Kane said.
Hegseth said eliminating offices testing new technology is “a reflection of the holistic approach we take in our department: ‘How efficiently are we operating?”
Hegseth said he led “Our Friends of Doge” – along with the government’s efficiency department of Elon Musk after the review.
He said the office is “bloated and expanding far beyond.”
In his opening statement, the Secretary of Defense remained within the boundaries of his stated mission to “restore the spirit of the warrior.”
“Day is dead,” he said. He nodded to the diversity initiative he swept through the Pentagon.
“We must overcome decades of negligence and decline,” he said. “We must strengthen our status as the world’s most lethal combat forces. We must act quickly.”
