In a hearing on Wednesday, senators criticized the use of military force in Los Angeles.
The Senate Appropriations Committee questioned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, criticizing the deployment of National Guard troops and active-duty Marines amidst ongoing protests in Los Angeles.
Hegseth has backed President Donald Trump’s decision to send thousands of active military members to the nation’s second-largest city. Hegseth told senators that every action taken in Los Angeles was « constitutional » and “lawful” but wasn’t able to provide the specific statute that authorized the administration to deploy active-duty Marines.
« Our Office of General Counsel, alongside our leadership, has reviewed and ensured, in the order that we set out, that it’s completely constitutional for the president to use federal troops to defend federal law enforcement,” he said.
