At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) questioned Sec. Pete Hegseth about sending members of the US military to American cities.
00:00Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So President Trump has deployed the National Guard and then the U.S. Marines to Los Angeles over the objections of state and local officials, saying that the troops are needed to support immigration detention operations that are being carried out by ICE.
00:18On Sunday night, the president threatened to deploy ICE agents to other cities around the country that he sees as, quote, the core of the Democrat power center, end quote, specifically mentioning Chicago and New York.
00:35Secretary Hegseth, if the president wanted to deploy Marines to Chicago and New York City like he did in Los Angeles, would you carry out that order, even if the local governors and mayors objected?
00:50Well, Senator, because Governor Newsom was unwilling to address protecting federal law enforcement agents in Los Angeles, President Trump had all the authorities in the Defense Department happily supported.
01:03defending our ICE agents in the conduct of their job.
01:06They have the right, as Americans, to be able to do their job without being attacked by mobs.
01:10And we will protect them in that process. And if other states needed it, we would provide that.
01:15I know that you heard my question. So you would be willing to send troops if the president ordered it to Chicago and New York City? That's right?
01:24Well, thankfully, New York City, unlike California, unlike Gavin Newsom, is willing to step up and address the issue with their local law enforcement.
01:32I will take that as a yes. How about if the president says he wants to send troops to 15 cities? Would you be willing to do that?
01:39Senator, I don't accept your hypothetical because it's not a real one.
01:45That's hypothetical. That's the question. You're the secretary of defense. Would you send troops to 15 cities?
01:50If the president said do it, would you do it?
01:5615 cities.
01:57Again, Senator, it's a complete hypothetical lacking any context at all.
02:02You're the secretary of defense.
02:03And I refuse to box myself in based on questioning on a hypothetical.
02:05Well, you can refuse, but you're here asking for a trillion dollars, and I want to know how you're going to spend it.
02:10And so my question is, if Donald Trump tells you to send troops to 15 American cities, are you going to spend the money and send the troops?
02:20Thankfully, we're spending money on securing our southern border away the previous administration abandoned and allowed 21 million illegals to enter our country.
02:28So defending our homeland is a real serious priority under this administration, and we're doing it.
02:33I understand the question about defense.
02:36Secretary Hegseth, about 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines have been sent to L.A.
02:42Is there a number of troops deployed to American cities over the objections of governors and mayors at which you would be concerned that we are undermining our national defense?
02:54Senator, we've spent two decades guarding other people's borders.
03:00We think of the Defense Department's about time we shore up ours.
03:04So that's my question.
03:06Is 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?
03:19Is there a number?
03:21Senator, we look at capabilities and readiness around the globe all the time, and we're quite satisfied with our capabilities to defend the homeland,
03:28and we'll provide more if and when it's necessary.
03:30So you are satisfied with our capabilities.
03:32Let me just ask, have you actually done the analysis and figured out how many troops you can deploy domestically before you start to undermine readiness around the world?
03:44Have you done that analysis?
03:46Yes, ma'am.
03:47Then would you let the rest of us in on it?
03:50We are the Senate Armed Services Committee, and you're here to ask for a trillion dollars.
03:55What's the number?
03:57We've got contingencies and plans for any number of capabilities should governors be unable, as Gavin Newsom has been, to actually secure his own federal agents in their cities.
04:09How many troops can you deploy domestically before you start to cut into our readiness internationally?
04:18As I said, previous administrations deployed our National Guard all around the globe in numbers far beyond what we were capable of supporting.
04:25So limited contingencies inside the United States to protect federal law enforcement is doable.
04:31If the Supreme Court orders you to remove troops from American city streets, will you do so?
04:36Can you repeat the question, please?
04:38Yes.
04:39If the Supreme Court orders you to remove troops from American cities, will you do so?
04:45As I've said, Senator, I don't believe district courts should determine national security policy, but if the Supreme Court rules on a topic, we will abide by that.
04:53Okay.
04:54You know, during her press conference last week, Secretary Noem said, we are staying here to liberate the city from its mayor and its governor, people who were elected by a majority of voters.
05:06Secretary Hegseth is saying he is ready to deploy more troops and won't tell us what the implications are for our national defense.
05:15This is un-American and it makes us unsafe.
05:18I wish our Republican colleagues would speak up.
