Politics
WATCH: Far-Left Rep. DeLauro Starts Screaming At Hegseth During Unhinged Moment
Trump defense secretary Pete Hegseth descended on Capitol Hill Tuesday to testify in support of his budget request, a scene that briefly devolved into absurd theater when Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) lost her composure.
The moment, shared by a rapid response account for the U.S. Department of Defense, underscored how contentious basic discussions between branches of government have become in the age of Trump. DeLauro, a progressive voice among U.S. Democrats, responded to Hegseth’s testimony by angrily accusing him of failing to clarify how the Pentagon is spending taxpayer dollars.
According to Hegseth, the Biden administration “squandered” billions of dollars in congressional funding. The remark caused DeLauro to slam her hand on the table in front of her.
“Please, I– I don’t, I want your plan!” she stammered, pointing at Hegseth. “I… I… I’ve had difficulty with the prior administration and I don’t mind calling them out!”
“What is your plan for the future, and can we get that in writing and on paper so that we know where you’re going?” she screamed. “Because we don’t have anything today! We have zip! Nada, in knowing where you’re going!”
The lack of decorum was called out by Hegseth’s office.
“WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING?” the rapid response account wrote, tagging DeLauro.
Hegseth fielded questions in support of his nearly $1 trillion appropriation request, but other moments focused on President Trump’s controversial decision to send National Guard and Marine soldiers to Los Angeles to quell immigration riots entering their fifth day.
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) clashed with Hegseth over the cost of deploying 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines to the City of Angels while asking him if the troops were missing any mandatory training as a result.
Hegseth responded by pointing to the George Floyd protests of 2020, prompting McCollum to interject multiple times, NBC News reported.
The Trump cabinet member accused Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz of “abandoning a police precinct” and letting Minneapolis burn before deploying the National Guard, insinuating that California Gov. Gavin Newsom would have done the same if it weren’t for Trump.
“Chairman, I have limited time, I asked a budget question,” McCollum cut in.
Newsom and Trump are currently facing off in a lawsuit over the president’s decision to federalize 4,000 members of the California National Guard, a fight that legal observers have predicted Trump will win. Meanwhile, leaders at the FBI have begun identifying some of the most violent culprits of the riots, calling on the suspects to turn themselves in after they hurled cinderblocks and other dangerous items at federal officials.
But with Republicans in control of both the House and Senate, Democrats like DeLauro are offered little more than a few minutes during Republican-led committee hearings to voice their outrage. President Trump has told allies that he plans to raise and spend more than $1 billion to keep the House so that Democrats like DeLauro will not have the opportunity to chair investigations into his administration.
