Trump admin updates: Trump calls for expanded deportations in LA, NYC and more

California Democrat Pete Aguilar pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Gov. Gavin Newsom's claim that National Guard troops were sent to Los Angeles without food and water and had to sleep on the floor.

"The commanders and troops on the field are very well-prepared, sir," Hegseth responded. "They responded incredibly rapidly to a deteriorating situation with equipment and capabilities ... There are moments where you make do as best you can temporarily, but we are ensuring they are housed, fed, water capabilities in real-time from my office because I care that much about the California Guard and the Marines and the men and women who are supporting crises on the ground."

Hegseth posted two images on X on Monday with a message aimed at Trump: "You sent your troops here without fuel, food, water or a place to sleep. Here they are — being forced to sleep on the floor, piled on top of one another. If anyone is treating our troops disrespectfully, it is you."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he held a riot shield outside the White House during the George Floyd protests in 2020 as he defended the use of armed service members in Los Angeles.

"We have made sure from the top down, as a Secretary of Defense who has been in a unit holding riot shields outside the White House during the chaos of the summer of 2020, I know what it's like to be immeditely deployed into a situation like that," Hegseth said.

Hegseth was a member of the District of Columbia Army National Guard and a Fox News reporter during that time.

Pete Hegseth was asked about military recruitment by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., and the defense secretary touted record numbers of people who have signed up for military service. He claimed more people were excited about serving under President Donald Trump.

The congressman made a sarcastic comment referring to Hegseth and the administration's stance on removing transgender soldiers.

"Mr. secretary, I'm a little confused. are you telling me that the folks that are voting with the commitment to the country, are not upset that they are not allowed to use different pronouns?" the congressman said.

Hegseth chuckled, contending that "if they wanted to get a woke indoctrination, they can just go to college."

"Instead they are joining the military where we're focused on the basics. We know men are men, women are women," he added.

Defense Secretary Hegseth defended the deployment of 4,800 National Guard personnel and Marines to Los Angeles in his first congressional testimony since taking over the Pentagon.
Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, insisted the Marines aren't trained for a domestic mission.

"All of the units on the ground have been fully trained," Hegseth said.

Across Capitol Hill, Gen. Eric Smith, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, said that the 700 Marines being sent to Los Angeles are trained in crowd control and will be providing support to law enforcement in protecting federal property.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, expressed his doubts to Smith about the use of combat-trained units domestically saying he had concerns and was "deeply worried" that their deployment increased the risk of lethal force possibly being used.

"As Marines, senator, I would say that all Marines are trained in crowd control, embassy reinforcement, etc. So this is part of their training. Sure, all Marines are trained in crowd control, sir, the standard Marine Expeditionary Unit before they deploy is trained, and this battalion was ready for that," Smith responded.