Overview
- He was pressed on sending about 700 active-duty Marines alongside over 4,100 National Guard troops to Los Angeles for immigration protests, a mission Pentagon Comptroller Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell said will cost $134 million and raises questions under the Posse Comitatus Act.
- Multiple investigations by the Department of Defense inspector general are examining his use of the unsecured Signal app to share details of a planned bombing raid on Houthi rebels in Yemen.
- Lawmakers criticized his swift purge of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at the Pentagon, highlighted by his declaration that “DEI is dead” and focus on restoring a “warrior ethos.”
- He failed to provide a full outline of President Trump’s proposed fiscal 2026 defense budget, which would exceed $1 trillion and represents a major increase over current spending.
- The White House continues to struggle to recruit qualified senior staff for the Pentagon, leaving key leadership vacancies in Hegseth’s office unfilled.