Pete Hegseth Takes Reporters' Questions About Big Beautiful Bill, Golden Dome

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to reporters before departing Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Transcript

00:00All we care about is protecting the homeland.

00:15President Trump has said for a long time defense of the homeland is critical.

00:19America first. America and Americans. Golden Dome is a generational investment

00:24in that to ensure we keep our people safe. That's it.

00:30We are committed to ensuring that there is peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.

00:41I'm going to be back out there soon, actually, and ensuring that communist Chinese know that

00:46we will stand strong and deter. But any plans that we're making in the future or otherwise,

00:51we're certainly not going to discuss in the public. How many jobs did the Golden Dome create

00:55in both the manufacturing and domestic? Well, as President Trump said in the Oval Office,

01:00made in America. We're going to defend America with great American companies

01:04who are committed patriotically to the defense of the homeland. We have some of the best tech

01:08companies, software companies, defense architecture companies in the world.

01:12They're going to be involved in Golden Dome, and we're going to warp speed that to make sure we deliver.

01:16What's your reaction to the passage of your house to one big, beautiful bill, and what's that mean

01:20for our readiness and our warfighters? One big, beautiful bill is critically important for us.

01:25It's going to help us fund the Defense Department to the tune of a trillion dollars.

01:28And President Trump is making a historic investment in America's defense. And that,

01:35the big, beautiful bill, and Speaker Johnson and all those Republicans who voted for him,

01:39we thank them for that. It's going to get us to that trillion,

01:41allow us to plan in FY26. And we're rebuilding the military. There's Golden Dome's in that,

01:48Border Security's in that, you know, hypersonics, long-range drones, you name it,

01:54we're funding it. The F-47, which the President announced,

01:58all the modernization of the military and the Army. We're committed, and it's a big first step.

02:03So I commend the Speaker and the Republicans for passing that. One more.

02:06Speaker 2 It's interesting. The question is, I've gotten some criticism for hosting a

02:17Christian prayer service at the Pentagon yesterday. We said it very publicly. We said it very proudly.

02:23Appealing to heaven, to God, is a longstanding tradition in our military. I'm very proud that

02:30we're starting a monthly voluntary service at the Pentagon. George Washington was on bended knee,

02:36with the troops. Praying for God's providence and protection in that moment. Chaplains and

02:43ministers and Christians and people of faith across generations have prayed because of the business

02:48that we're in. I mean, the business of the 82nd Airborne, and you watch that 911 button for the

02:53country, is a dangerous one on behalf of all of us. And we appeal to God. I appeal to Jesus Christ

03:01for that protection. We're going to speak that word and be open and willing to talk about that at the

03:05Pentagon. If they want to criticize that, they're on the wrong side of a very important issue.

03:12So thanks for coming with us today. We'll see you on the other side. Thank you.