Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the deployment of National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles on Tuesday, asserting that California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had failed to protect ICE agents and citizens from violent rioters. Hegseth argued that President Trump had the legal authority to deploy the troops, citing attacks on ICE agents and damage to property in the city, with rioters reportedly waving flags from foreign nations.
During a heated House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, Hegseth sparred with Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., over the legality of the deployment, claiming that Trump’s intervention was necessary because state and local authorities had not adequately protected law enforcement and citizens. Hegseth framed the action as a response to the failure of state and local leaders to uphold law and order, while simultaneously supporting Trump’s broader immigration enforcement agenda.