Sec. Pete Hegseth Refuses To Say He Would Respect A Decision From Federal Courts On Troops In LA

7 months ago

At a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) questioned Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth about following court orders.

Transcript

00:00Gentleman yields back.

00:01Chair, and I recognize this gentleman from California, Mr. Khanna.

00:04Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:05Mr. Secretary, I'm hoping we can start where we may have common ground.

00:10No war in Iran.

00:12In 2016, President Trump was one of the few people on the Republican stage

00:17to have the guts to say that George W. Bush's war in Iraq was an utter disaster.

00:22He promised the American people no endless wars.

00:25Tucker Carlson has said that thousands of Americans will die

00:29if there's a war in Iran.

00:32He is cautioning that currently neocons are trying to get President Trump into a war in Iran.

00:39Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has said the American people don't want to bomb Iran.

00:45Will you today assure the American people and the MAGA movement

00:49that you will not bomb Iran unless we are hit?

00:54Congressman, it's good to hear you're quoting conservatives.

01:02When they're right, I quote them.

01:05I will tell you this.

01:06The President has been earnestly and completely committed to a peace process,

01:10has given Iran every opportunity, those talks ongoing,

01:14but he also fully recognizes the threat that Iran, with a nuclear weapon, would exist.

01:19Will you commit to us not bombing them?

01:22I mean, that's what the conservative MAGA movement is calling for it online.

01:25You'll see.

01:26I mean, they want a commitment that we not bomb Iran unless we're directly hit.

01:31Well, here in this forum, it wouldn't be prudent for me to commit or not commit.

01:34My job is to be postured and prepared in the region, just as the chairman.

01:38How about this?

01:39Would you agree with this analysis that Netanyahu is itching for a fight?

01:45If Netanyahu uses American missiles to hit Iran, he's going to drag us into a war there

01:51because Iran's going to say they're using American missiles.

01:53Our military knows that you cannot, just through hits, eliminate Iran's nuclear capability.

02:00They'll simply go underground, and they will then end monitoring.

02:04And unlike Iraq, they're in heavily civilian sites.

02:07Will you stand up today and make it clear to Netanyahu that that escalation, what he's threatening

02:14just yesterday, is not in the American interest, that he should not be dragging America into

02:20war with Iran?

02:22Well, Congressman, that question included a lot of speculation.

02:27What I know is that Bibi Netanyahu is going to put his country first, and we're going to

02:30put our country first, and we're positioned properly in the region to ensure that we're prepared

02:35for any potential contingency.

02:37Are you concerned about his escalation into Iran, and will you assure the American people

02:41you're going to do everything possible to keep us out of a war in Iran?

02:44We remain, as the president has said, committed to creating the conditions for peace, creating

02:49the conditions for talks where Iran does not have the ability to develop a nuclear weapon.

02:55I'm running out of time, two minutes, so let me ask you another matter.

02:59Senator Baldwin asked you about the legal authority for the Marines in my state.

03:05I disagree with you.

03:06I thought, not only do I not want Marines in Iran, I don't want them in California.

03:12But I don't want to get a gotcha, you know, they said, what provision your administration

03:16since then has filed in the federal district court?

03:19You're arguing that the Marines should be allowed to defend federal property.

03:23I disagree with you.

03:25That's your argument.

03:26Here's where I hope we can agree.

03:28Whatever the federal district court decides, will you abide by it?

03:32Well, this is a pending situation.

03:35So will you agree, though, that it's not my legal view, it's not your legal view that

03:40makes the decision in America.

03:41It's the federal judiciary.

03:42If the federal court in California, in the San Francisco district judge, orders a preliminary

03:50injunction, will you agree to abide by the federal courts?

03:54What I will tell you is my job right now is to ensure the troops that we have in Los Angeles

03:58are capable of supporting law enforcement in there.

04:00Sir, I agree with that.

04:01And we know we have the constitutional and statutory authority to do that.

04:05That's fine, but can you just assure us that you'll abide by the decisions of the courts?

04:11We've always looked at the decisions of the courts.

04:13Well, the vice president has said that he doesn't believe that the courts should be respected

04:17in military matters.

04:19This is not my lane, but we also recognize that the way in which the judiciary has expanded

04:25its powers during the Trump administration is quite clear.

04:26But can you just give a simple...

04:27Okay, let me ask you this.

04:28Two simple questions.

04:30You've got 30 seconds.

04:30I'm not trying to trick you.

04:31I think it would assure the American people.

04:33Because we shouldn't...

04:34It shouldn't be Ro Khanna's view of the Constitution.

04:36It shouldn't be Secretary Hegseth's.

04:38It should be the Supreme Court and the federal courts.

04:40Can you assure the American people on two things?

04:42You will respect any Supreme Court decision on this matter about whether the Marines are

04:47constitutional, and you will respect the district courts when they rule before the Supreme Court

04:51rules.

04:51What I can say is we should not have local judges determining foreign policy or national security

04:56policy for the country.

04:57So you're not willing to say you would respect those decisions?

05:00What I'm saying is local district judges shouldn't make foreign policy for the United States.

05:04You know, as time's expired, Chair and I recognize...

Sec. Pete Hegseth Refuses To Say He Would Respect A Decision From Federal Courts On Troops In LA

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