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Hegseth Defends Los Angeles Troop Deployment, Signal Leaks and $1 Trillion Budget Before Congress

The hearings mark his first opportunity to address unsecured communications, the Los Angeles troop deployment; his unprecedented defense budget proposal remains under scrutiny.

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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.