Jun 11 WATCH: Hegseth reacts to concern that Trump administration applies double standard to protests By Joshua Barajas Hegseth has strongly defended Trump’s militarized response to protests over federal immigration raids but would not directly answer a question from a lawmaker Wednesday about whether he supported the decision to activate the National Guard during the Jan. 6 attack… Continue reading
Jun 11 WATCH: McConnell warns Hegseth that U.S. can’t be seen as ‘allowing the Russians to define victory’ By Joshua Barajas Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was pressed for details Wednesday on how President Donald Trump intended to defend democratic allies abroad, especially when it came to helping Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. Continue reading
Jun 11 WATCH: Hegseth testifies on Pentagon budget as Marines join National Guard in Los Angeles By Lolita C. Baldor, Tara Copp, Associated Press Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended his decision to order troops to provide security during federal immigration raids in Los Angeles, telling senators on Wednesday it's about “maintaining law and order.”… Continue reading
Jun 10 WATCH: Hegseth says troops could be in LA for 60 days, cost $134 million By Dan Cooney "We're here to maintain the peace on behalf of law enforcement officers in Los Angeles, which Gavin Newsom won't do," Hegseth said. Continue reading
Jun 10 WATCH: Lawmakers question Hegseth on deploying troops to LA and Pentagon spending By Lolita C. Baldor, Tara Copp, Associated Press Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been met with sharp questions and criticism by lawmakers who demanded details on his moves to deploy troops to Los Angeles. Continue reading
Jun 06 Watch 9:33 ‘We have earned our spots’: Facing Trump ban, trans troops reflect on military service By Nick Schifrin, Dan Sagalyn, Joshua Barajas Friday marks the deadline for the estimated 4,200 active-duty transgender military members to accept what the Defense Department calls "voluntary separation." Those who volunteer to leave may be eligible for separation pay while transgender troops who don’t leave voluntarily will… Continue watching
Jun 06 Pentagon watchdog investigates if Hegseth’s staff were told to delete Signal messages By Tara Copp, Associated Press Hegseth already has faced questions over the installation of an unsecured internet line in his office that bypassed the Pentagon’s security protocols and revelations that he shared details about the military strikes in multiple Signal chats. Continue reading
Jun 05 NATO chief says alliance is ‘really close’ to accepting Trump’s 5% defense investment demand By Lorne Cook, Associated Press Most U.S. allies at NATO endorse President Donald Trump’s demand and are ready to ramp up security spending even more, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Thursday. Continue reading
Jun 04 Zelenskyy wants face-to-face talks with Putin. Putin says there’s nothing to talk about after Ukraine’s attacks By Hanna Arhirova, Associated Press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday dismissed Russia's ceasefire proposal as "an ultimatum" and renewed his call for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to break the deadlock over the war, which has dragged on for nearly 3½ years. Continue reading
May 31 Hegseth warns Indo-Pacific allies of threat from China By Tara Copp, David Rising, Associated Press The U.S. defense secretary reassured allies in the Indo-Pacific on Saturday that they will not be left alone to face increasing military and economic pressure from China, while insisting that they also contribute more to their own defense. Continue reading