Politics
WATCH: Pete Hegseth Triggers Dem Senator By Informing Her She Ran Out of Time
Pete Hegseth ran laps around Democratic U.S. senators on Wednesday while appearing at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, at one point provoking an outburst after he gently pointed out that a far-left senator’s time had expired.
The Trump defense secretary was fielding questions from Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) when the Nevada Democrat ran out of time, a window being watched closely by Hegseth. She had just finished challenging him to explain the firing of Gen. Timothy Haugh, who was relieved of duty in April.
“Yes or no?” she asked in a clip that’s since gone viral.
Hegseth checked the time before turning on his microphone. “I believe your time is up, senator,” he replied calmly, causing Rosen to go ballistic.
“Oh it is not up to you to tell me when my time is up,” she fumed, jabbing her finger at him.
“Well, the time of the senator is up,” Chairman Roger Wicker (R-AL) interjected, but he couldn’t stop Rosen from going on an extended rant while he did his best to shut her down.
“I have to say, Mr. Secretary, you’re either feckless or complicit. You’re not in control of your department. Your un-seriousness is shocking. You’re not combatting antisemitism within your ranks. It’s a dangerous and pivotal time in our nation’s history,” the Democrat alleged before yielding the floor.
“And I don’t appreciate the smirk, sir. You are the secretary of defense.”
WATCH:
Elsewhere in the hearing, Hegseth swatted away hypotheticals by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) after she asked him if he would support President Donald Trump deploying Marines to Chicago and New York City, as he’s done in Los Angeles.
“Would you carry out that order even if the local governors and mayors objected?” she asked Hegeth.
After an extended crosstalk, he replied, “Thankfully, New York City, unlike California, unlike Gavin Newsom, is willing to step up and address the issue with their local law enforcement.”
“I will take that as a yes,” Warren said before moving on. “How about if the president was willing to send troops to 15 cities?”
“Senator, I don’t accept your hypothetical… and I refuse to box myself in on a questioning based on a hypothetical.”
WATCH:
Much like Warren, Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) asked him about several hypothetical scenarios while accusing him of unleashing a “lethal force” on L.A. and “escalating tensions” by bringing in the National Guard and Marines.
“Do you plan to unleash this lethal force against U.S. citizens and civilians in LA and other cities?” Hirono asked.
“Well, senator, I would reject more of the characterization of that statement, including lethality against U.S. cities, when all of those National Guardsmen and Marines have conducted themselves with the utmost professionalism defending our federal agents. Americans deserve to be able to do their jobs to deport illegal aliens after the previous administration allowed 21 million illegals to cross our border,” Hegseth said, the Daily Caller reported.
Hirono interrupted, accusing Hegseth of not responding professionally, a frequent theme of Wednesday’s hearing.
“Senator, as I said before, of course, I reject the premise of your question. And the characterization that I would be given or are given unlawful orders, it’s all meant to smear the commander-in-chief and I won’t fall for it,” Hegseth said.
