In reaction to frequently sharp wondering from House Democrats on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the Pentagon’s deployment of just about 5,000 active-duty Marines and National Guard participants to assist the police in Los Angeles quell sporadic unrest.
Mr. Hegseth, a former National Guardsman, additionally urged in testimony earlier than the House Appropriations Committee that the usage of the Guard, part-time citizen squaddies, for fatherland protection would increase underneath President Trump.
“I think we’re entering another phase, especially under President Trump with his focus on the homeland, where the National Guard and Reserves become a critical component of how we secure that homeland,” Mr. Hegseth instructed lawmakers.
Officials in Los Angeles, in addition to different primary towns around the nation managed through Democrats, have expressed worry that the army deployments in California may just set a precedent and function a take a look at run for different city spaces the place the management’s competitive immigration enforcement may just suggested huge protests.
Mr. Hegseth defended the deployment on Monday of four,000 California National Guard troops and 700 Marines, telling lawmakers, “We ought to be able to enforce immigration law in this country.”
The secretary had a number of testy exchanges with Democrats at the committee, who challenged him at the efficacy and price of the deployments. At one level, he not noted direct questions from Representative Betty McCollum of Minnesota, the highest Democrat at the committee’s protection panel, about the price to deploy troops to Los Angeles.
Instead, Mr. Hegseth used his time to assault Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles and the Biden management. A obviously annoyed Ms. McCollum yielded again her time.
When he was once wondered once more at the project’s projected prices, Mr. Hegseth deferred to the Pentagon’s performing comptroller, Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, who mentioned that Marine and National Guard deployments — estimated to closing 60 days — would value about $134 million, basically for commute, housing and meals.
John Ismay contributed reporting.
