Overview

• Rep. Salud Carbajal interrupted Hegseth during a House Armed Services Committee hearing to call him an “embarrassment” and urge him to resign from the Department of Defense.
• Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine were testifying on the Pentagon’s FY2026 request, which totals $961 billion and exceeds $1 trillion in national security spending.
• He justified sending National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles to protect federal ICE agents during anti-ICE protests, drawing accusations of political theater.
• Carbajal challenged whether political allegiance to President Trump is a requirement for serving in the military or civilian roles at the Defense Department.
• Hegseth urged NATO allies to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP at an upcoming heads-of-state summit.