During Friday’s dialogue in Singapore, Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth discussed the Trump Administration's focus on border security.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Well, the opening question is a very good one. It's a fair one. When an incoming administration comes into the world the way it is, the existing set of threats, and I mentioned deferred maintenance, and as a result, we never would and have not turned our back on existing relationships, existing responsibilities, existing threats.
00:23So, when it comes to the very tailored operation we had against the Houthis, which easily could have expanded into something else if we did not maintain focus on what the end state was, freedom of navigation was our goal from the beginning.
00:39We used an unrelenting military force to execute that, provided capabilities in order to protect our troops and forces in the region and process, which requires some trade-offs, but intentionally kept the scope narrow that it didn't spiral into something bigger, and we could ensure we maintain combat power or other potentialities.
01:01We stand prepared to ensure that Iran does not get any nuclear bomb. We're committed to peace. We believe that's the most fruitful process and there's been great signs, but it would be irresponsible for the Department of Defense not to posture, to protect our forces and our allies and our bases in the region.
01:21That requires trade-offs in the short-term. But that's our job. I started working with the Chairman and the Chiefs and others to ensure globally we're looking at the entire picture and allocating resources at certain times and certain places with a specific entity, with an understanding that eventually we need to make choices that shift to our prior relocation.
01:46I'll note that the border, from our perspective, our border is not a deviation from that at all.
01:52President Trump made that key from the beginning, securing our skies, our southern border.
01:57When you have 21 million people whose intentions you don't know what they are and enter your country, we call that an invasion.
02:04That's unacceptable, and that's why we focused on that from day one, and we will use all resources necessary to secure that southern border.
02:13Another question was about Cypher. It needs to be fully integrated into how we operate. I can't tell you how often Advo Procaro brings that up, both in hot forward and defensive, offensive and defensive capabilities.
02:26Training, working together at the request of allies and partners to seek that capability, and then many of which have capabilities that are a multiplier effect for hours.
02:40So it is central to how we look at the world. It has to be in a world of asymmetric press, in the world of space, in the world of cyber. Those domains are the front lines, especially in the brace-on asymmetric hybrid warfare scenarios that I discussed and touched on briefly.
02:55I think the other question was about how we operationalize that pivot. Can you do it by going there, by investing there, by exercising there, by training there, by pouring resources there, by looking at your force posture around the world, which we're reviewing, and a force posture that needs to meet the threats of today and going forward.
03:23That's my thought. I understand there are a lot of reasons why U.S. troops may be in a certain place. And those are good reasons. Reasons grounded in threats, relationships, alliances, all of which need to be taken into consideration.
03:39But if you're looking at it through the lens of America first, not America alone, and peace through strength, practically, we need to be able to review those postures and pivot accordingly.
03:53And we try to be open and transparent to our allies and partners in the process, certainly our friends in Congress as well.
04:00For military sales, I believe that is the fourth question. It's touched on capabilities, making sure that the Indo-Pacific does not become a testing ground. That's certainly not our goal.
04:10However, we've learned, as so many of you have, from the conflict in Ukraine, that warfare is changing rapidly. It's iterated in real time.
04:21So this idea that we can conduct defense procurement the way we have in the past, waiting months and months and years for the perfect system that delivers five years down the road over time and over budget, it's not possible.
04:34So we're working with our partners, not just the Indo-Pacific, but around the world to rapidly deal with emerging technologies, which we think makes us more likely to deter adversaries.
04:45And then the fifth question was...
04:48Europe's role in the...
04:50Oh, yeah, yeah, a big one. And I think there are understandable reasons why other countries would take a different view.
05:00I mentioned it briefly. I think Europe's comparative advantage, powers from Eastern and Western Europe, is defense of that continent.
05:09I think investing in those capabilities has a very real deterrent effect on the continent. We welcome that.
05:17I've also had a lot of ongoing conversations with our military leadership in the Indo-Pacific, and there is something to be said to the fact that China calculates the possibility
05:27and does not appreciate the presence of other countries on occasion or as part of the dynamics or decision-making process.
05:37And if that is reflected in their calculus, then that's useful.
05:43But we would much prefer that the overwhelming balance of European investment be on that continent 80 years on.
05:52So that as we partner there, which we will continue to do, we will be able to use our comparative advantage as an Indo-Pacific nation to support our partners here.
06:00Thank you very much. We'll take a few more in the second round, and then we'll wrap up.
06:07Thanks to you guys!