Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth clashed with Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) during a Wednesday hearing over the 2026 budget requests. Ultimately, it devolved into Hegseth laughing at the senator before she elevated her voice.
Slotkin recalled during Hegseth’s confirmation hearing that she asked whether he would agree to deploy American soldiers to fire on protesters. At the time, Hegseth called it “hypothetical,” despite former Secretary Mark Esper being asked to do the same thing. Hegseth has since deployed the National Guard and Marines to oppose protesters.
“Does the uniformed military have the ability to arrest and detain protesters?” asked Slotkin.
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Hegseth fumbled.
“It’s a yes or no thing,” she said.
“It’s bemusing the extent to which the speculation is out there. These troops are given very clear orders,” Hegseth claimed.
“Then what is the order? Then list it out for us. Be a man. List it out!” she asked. “Did you authorize them to detain or arrest. That is a fundamental of democracy. I’m not trying to be a snot here. I’m just trying to get the actual — did you authorize them to do that?”
“All of these orders and what they are sent to do are public,” said Hegseth.
“Ok, so say it, say it. Yes or no,” she said.
“I’d like to,” he said.
“Please. Yes or no,” she repeated.
“I’ve said time and time again, through interruption, they are there to protect law enforcement,” Hegseth continued, still refusing to answer her question.
“Do they have the ability to arrest —” Slotkin began with Hegseth talking over her.
“To do their job deporting illegals allowed in by the previous administration,” Hegseth continued.
“So, they cannot arrest and detain citizens of the United States? The uniformed military, is that right?” she said.
“As we stated, if necessary, in their own self-defense, they can temporarily detain and hand over to ICE, but there’s no arresting going on, and you know this better than — you’re trying to play political games,” Hegseth glared.
Slotkin is likely asking the question due to reports that U.S. Marines detained a man outside of a federal building, the Military Times reported. The man did not hear their commands to stop.
Slotkin moved on, asking questions about using cybersecurity before she and Hegseth clashed again.
“Have you given the order to be able to shoot at unarmed protesters in any way?” she asked.
Hegseth laughed at her.
“I’m just asking the question. Don’t laugh,” she said. “The whole country — and by the way, my colleagues across the aisle —”
Hegseth cut her off to ask, “What is that based on? What evidence would you have that an order like that has ever been given?”
“It is based on Donald Trump giving that order to your predecessor, to a Republican Secretary of Defense who I give a lot of credit to because he didn’t accept the order. He has more guts and balls than you because he said, ‘I’m not going to send in the military to do something that I know in my gut is not right. He was asked to shoot at their legs. He wrote that in his book. That’s not hearsay. So your pooh-poohing of this, it just shows you don’t understand who we are as a country. And all of my colleagues across the aisle, especially the ones that served, should want an apolitical military and not want citizens to be scared of their own military.”
