The final day was not without its fireworks, with several clashes with lawmakers as he dodged questions on invading Greenland, Ukraine aid, his use of the app Signal, and troop deployment in Los Angeles.
Hegseth, in his first appearance before the House Armed Services Committee, was quickly hit with queries from panel Democrats, starting with ranking member Adam Smith (Wash.). Smith pressed the Pentagon chief on whether it is the Defense Department’s policy that the U.S. military be prepared to take Greenland or Panama by force.
Hegseth would not rule out the possibility of a future military invasion of the Arctic territory and Central American country, suggesting to lawmakers the Pentagon could have such plans and that the U.S. has an interest in protecting both areas from Chinese influence.
The Defense Department “plans for any particular contingency,” he said, adding that “I think the American people would want the Pentagon to have plans for anything.”
The answer caused Smith to scoff, replying: “I don’t think the American people voted for President Trump because they were hoping we would invade Greenland. I’m going to go out on a limb on that one.”
Hegseth was later pressed by Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), who implored him to confirm that “it is not your testimony today that there are plans at the Pentagon for taking by force or invading Greenland, correct? Because I sure as hell hope that it is not that.”
Hegseth would only repeat that the “Pentagon has plans for any number of contingencies” and that officials “look forward to working with Greenland to ensure that it is secured from any potential threats.”
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) took his five minutes to supply Hegseth with the most direct questioning he’s yet faced on whether he shared classified information on U.S. attack plans in Yemen via the Signal messaging app.
Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) then lambasted the Defense secretary as an “embarrassment,” demanding he resign over a range of issues including the Signal group chat, deploying Marines to Los Angeles amid protests and his views on Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“I have called for your resignation. I didn’t think you were qualified before your confirmation, and you have done nothing to inspire confidence in your ability to lead competently,” Carbajal said.
The hearing caps off Hegseth’s long week on Capitol Hill, which began on Tuesday with a relatively quiet House Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing.
But on Wednesday, Hegseth faced heated questions from the Senate’s version of the Appropriations panel, which bombarded Hegseth over the Russia-Ukraine war, the Pentagon’s delays in delivering budget information and the administration’s focus on Greenland in its Arctic strategy.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
