Pete Hegseth Floors Senator With Response to Question on Whether He’ll Follow Federal Court Rulings

Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) pulled no punches on Wednesday in grilling Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his management of the U.S. military and was left stunned by his response on whether or not he plans to follow federal court rulings.

Hirono began her questioning with an attack on Hegseth’s rocky start at the Pentagon: “Secretary Hegseth, you’ve had a tough start. At your confirmation hearing, my Democratic colleagues and I rightly questioned whether you had the requisite qualifications and experience to lead the DOD, the largest federal agency, especially given your checkered past, which included paying $50,000 in hush money to settle a sexual assault allegation against you and driving two veterans organizations into the ground.” She continued:

After only months on the job, our concerns about you have proven true, as far as I’m concerned. Instead of strengthening national security, you’ve turned the Pentagon into a dysfunctional mess. You are jeopardizing military operations and service members’ lives with your unprecedented action of texting classified military plans to anyone who might stroke your ego.

Leading the Department of Defense is more than just a PR campaign filled with photo ops. While you pose for cameras, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues unabated. Israel and Iran are also at war in large part because your boss tore up a multilateral agreement former President Obama brokered with the UK, France, Germany, China, and Russia that curbed Iran’s nuclear program and ambitions.

Meanwhile, China advances in the Pacific as this regime undermines and attacks our allies. At a time when steady leadership is critical, we are confronted with crisis and instability. Mr. Secretary, close to 5,000 Marines and National Guard have been deployed to LA without the request or consent of the California governor or Los Angeles Mayor Bass.

“Rather than calming the situation, this troop deployment is purposefully inflaming and escalating tensions. You claim lethality is your top priority. Do you plan to unleash this lethal force against US citizens and civilians in LA and other cities?” Hirono finally asked.

Hegseth, former Fox News morning show host, replied, “Well, Senator, I would reject most of the characterization of that statement, including the lethality against U.S. cities, when all of those National Guardsmen and Marines have conducted themselves with the utmost professionalism, defending our federal agents, Americans, who deserve to be able to do their job to deport illegal immigrants after the previous administration allowed 21 million illegals to cross our border.”

Hirono cut in, ‘Reclaiming my time.”

“I am not here to listen to your rhetorical responses. I would like to have a professional response that I would expect from somebody who is the Secretary of Defense,” she added, before asking:

Millions of people peacefully demonstrated this weekend against the president acting like a king. Given this regime’s dangerous policy of mobilizing troops inside the US, the politicizing of the military is a legitimate concern. So given the dangerous policy of mobilizing troops inside the US, if ordered by the president, I’m going to ask you once again, to shoot peaceful protesters in the legs, would you carry out such an order from the president?

Hegseth shot back, “Senator, as I’ve said before, of course, I reject the premise of your question and the characterization that I would be given unlawful orders. It’s all meant to attempt to smear the commander in chief, and I won’t fall for it.”

“Considering that the president, in his first term, actually ordered such a thing. It is not a premise that you can reject. He can order the same thing,” Hirono shot back, appearing to reference former Trump Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s claims about Trump.

“So again, I think you would just follow what the president wants you to do. Let’s face it, it is not normal to call up our troops in this way, and there is active litigation against this deployment. Will you follow a court’s order regarding whether or not this deployment is legal? If the court says this deployment of troops into our cities is not legal, would you follow that court’s order?” Hirono pressed.

Hegseth replied, “It’s pending in the courts, Senator.”

“Well, when the court decides, would you follow that court order decision?” Hirono clarified.

Hegseth replied, “I don’t believe district courts should be determining national security policy.”

Hirono hit back, “So you will not be following that legitimate court?”

Hegseth doubled down, “When it goes to the Supreme Court, we’ll see.”

“And unless the president decides to appeal, there you have it. So I take it that you don’t consider district court decisions to be legitimate,” Hirono concluded exasperated.

Watch the clip above via C-SPAN.