Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth obliterated a Democratic congressman during a tense House Appropriations Committee hearing, calling the representative out for a “disingenuous attack” that misrepresented the Defense Department’s concern for the troops deployed in Los Angeles.
For context, on June 10, 2025, Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) questioned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding the deployment of National Guard units and U.S. Marines to quell the violent anti-ICE riots that broke out in Los Angeles on June 6. In response to brazen attacks on the Trump Administration from Rep. Aguilar, Secretary Hegseth stood his ground and provided simple, precise answers to each question the congressman threw at him.
Beginning his questioning of Secretary Hegseth, Rep. Aguilar focused on the deployment of National Guard units in LA, saying, “Mr. Secretary, I want to express my severe concern with the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles without consultation of the state of California.” He added, “There have been photographs that have shown these troops sleeping on the floor and have not been provided fuel, food, or water by DOD.”
Continuing, Rep. Aguilar asked Secretary Hegseth, “How long will this deployment last, and why were we unprepared to provide them basic necessities, such as food and water?” Secretary Hegseth, without missing a beat, replied, “The commanders and troops on the field are very well prepared, sir.” He added, “They responded incredibly rapidly to a deteriorating situation with equipment and capabilities we have made sure from the top down.”
Next, Secretary Hegseth pointed to his extensive experience in situations like the Los Angeles riots, saying, “As the Secretary of Defense, who’s been in a unit holding riot shields outside the White House during the chaos of the summer of 2020, I know what it’s like to be immediately deployed into a situation like that.”
Then, the secretary ripped into Rep. Aguilar, calling his questioning “a disingenuous attack that misrepresents how much we care about our troops and what they’re doing to defend ICE agents.” He continued, “Nobody cares more about the troops at the top than this secretary.” Rep. Aguilar interjected, saying, “Mr. Secretary, how long will the deployment last?”
In response, the secretary was clear and firm, saying, “We stated very publicly that it’s 60 days because we want to ensure that those rioters, looters, and thugs on the other side, assaulting our police officers, know that we’re not going anywhere.” He added, “We’re here to maintain the peace on behalf of law enforcement officers in Los Angeles, which Gavin Newsom won’t do.” Moreover, Secretary Hegseth was able to answer Rep. Aguilar’s questions about the cost of the deployment with clarity and precision, calling on his assistant to explain that the entire operation was funded by the Military’s operations and maintenance accounts.
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Dropping a final brutal bomb on the representative, the secretary responded to Rep. Aguilar’s critique of the Trump Administration deploying the National Guard, saying, “If you’ve got millions of illegals, you don’t know where they’re coming from.” He added, “They’re…waving flags from foreign countries, and assaulting police officers and law enforcement officers.” The secretary continued, “The governor of California is unable to execute the laws of the United States…the governor of California has failed to protect his people, along with the mayor of Los Angeles.”
Watch the exchange:
Featured image credit: video screengrab