During a heated Senate hearing, Senator Elizabeth Warren launched into an impassioned tirade while interrogating Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, vehemently criticizing both the secretary and President Trump for their decision to deploy Marines in response to the violent anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles. However, her outburst backfired when Hegseth presented evidence and highlighted the Democrats’ overt hypocrisy.
For context, on June 18, 2025, during a Senate hearing, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) seized the moment to criticize Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Trump Administration as a whole while he was providing testimony. In turn, Hegseth utilized Senator Warren’s inquiries to illustrate the shortcomings of the Democrats.
During the hearing, Senator Warren initially concentrated on the Trump Administration’s choice to send Marines to Los Angeles, questioning, “Secretary Hegseth, if the President intended to deploy Marines to Chicago and New York City as he did in Los Angeles, would you execute that order, even if the local governors and mayors opposed it?”
In reply, the defense secretary contended that California Governor Gavin Newsom “was not willing to ensure the protection of federal law enforcement agents in Los Angeles,” which indicated that “all the authorities in the Defense Department fully supported safeguarding our ICE agents in the performance of their duties.” The secretary further stated, “They possess the right as Americans to perform their jobs without being assaulted by mobs.”
Subsequently, the senator reiterated her stance, inquiring of Secretary Hegseth, “What if the President expresses a desire to send troops to 15 cities? Would you be prepared to do that?” Maintaining his position, the secretary responded, “Senator, I do not accept your hypothetical because it is…not a real scenario.” After the senator reiterated her question, the secretary replied, “Senator, it is entirely hypothetical, devoid of any context whatsoever. And I refuse to confine myself based on inquiries regarding a hypothetical situation.”
At this juncture, Secretary Hegseth decisively stated, “The former administration neglected and permitted 21 million undocumented individuals to enter our nation. Therefore, safeguarding our homeland is a genuine and significant priority for this administration, and we are actively addressing it.” Nevertheless, as expected, the senator expressed dissatisfaction with this reply, bluntly stating, “Please comprehend the inquiry regarding defense.”
The dialogue persisted as Senator Warren repeatedly posed the same question, while the defense secretary maintained his composure in defending his choices. However, when Senator Warren persisted, the secretary retorted, “Senator, we have dedicated two decades to protecting the borders of others. We believe it is high time for the Defense Department to reinforce our own borders.”
Subsequently, the senator reiterated her question: “What is the maximum number of troops you can deploy domestically before it begins to impact our international readiness?” The secretary highlighted the hypocrisy of the inquiry — and of the senator’s party — by responding, “Previous administrations have deployed our National Guard globally in numbers that far exceeded our capacity to support.”
Observe the exchange:
