Pete Hegseth Won’t Answer When Asked If He’ll Respect a Court’s Decision On Deploying Marines to LA

Ahmad Austin Jr.Jun 12th, 2025, 2:06 pm

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday couldn’t give a straight answer when asked if he’ll respect the court’s decision on deploying U.S. Marines to Los Angeles.

Earlier this week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to block President Donald Trump from sending troops into LA. In response to the protests against immigration raids, Trump has deployed thousands of members of the California National Guard. He’s also prepared hundreds of Marines to join them.

Newsom claimed that Trump made those decisions without first informing him — prompting the governor to pursue legal action.

During Thursday’s House hearing on Trump’s proposed defense budget, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) asked Hegseth if he would respect the court’s decision should it rule in Newsom’s favor. Hegseth’s answer was noncommittal:

KHANNA: Here’s where I hope we can agree: whatever the federal district court decides, will you abide by it?

HEGSETH: Well this is a pending– this is a situation.

KHANNA: Sure. So, will you agree, though, that it’s not my legal view, it’s not your legal view, that makes the decision in America? It’s the federal judiciary. If the federal court in California in the San Francisco [sic] — that this district judge orders a preliminary injunction, will you agree to abide by the federal courts?

HEGSETH: What I will tell you is my job right now is to ensure the troops that we have in Los Angeles are capable of supporting law enforcement–

KHANNA: Sir, I agree with that; but can you–

HEGSETH: And we know we have the constitutional and statutory authority to do that.

KHANNA: That’s fine, but can you just assure us that you’ll abide by the decisions of the courts.

HEGSETH: We’ve always looked at the decisions of the courts.

KHANNA: Well, the vice president has said that he doesn’t believe that the court should be respected in military matters.

HEGSETH: This is not my lane, but we also recognize that the way in which the judiciary has expanded its powers during the Trump administration is quite clear.

KHANNA: OK, let me ask you this. Two simple questions. You got 30 seconds. I’m not trying to trick you. I just, I think it would assure the American people because it shouldn’t be Ro Khanna’s view of the Constitution. It shouldn’t be Secretary Hegseth’s. It should be the Supreme Court and the federal courts. Can you assure the American people on two things: you will respect any Supreme Court decision on this matter about whether the Marines are constitutional, and you will respect the district courts when they rule before the Supreme Court rules?

HEGSETH: What I can say is we should not have local judges determining foreign policy or national security policy for the country.

KHANNA: So you’re not willing to say you would respect those decisions?

HEGSETH: What I’m saying is local district judges shouldn’t make foreign policy for the United States.