Hegseth faces Congress for first time since Signal leaks and Marine deployment to Los Angeles
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U.S. Defence Secretary Hegseth faces Congress for first time since Signal leaks, Marine deployment to Los Angeles
Pete Hegseth will testify at three Capitol Hill hearings beginning Tuesday (June 10, 2025) Lawmakers may quiz him on the latest searing images coming out of the immigration raid protests in Los Angeles. It will be lawmakers’ first chance to ask Mr. Heg seth about a myriad of other controversial spending by the Pentagon. The hearing Tuesday before the House Appropriations Defence Subcommittee will be his first public appearance on Capitol Hill since he squeaked through his Senate confirmation with a tie-breaking vote. The inspector general has been looking into the Defence Department’s initial chat at the request of the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Senate Armed services Committee is also reviewing whether any of Mr Heg Seth’s aides were forced to delete any Signal messages from the app. The chat became a public embarrassment because the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently added to it. It was set up by then-national security adviser Mike Waltz and was used to share information about upcoming military strikes in Yemen.
Lawmakers also have made it clear they are unhappy that Mr. Hegseth has not provided details on the administration’s first proposed defence budget, which President Donald Trump has said would total $1 trillion, a significant increase over the current spending level of more than $800 billion.
It will be lawmakers’ first chance to ask Mr. Hegseth about a myriad of other controversial spending by the Pentagon, including plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on security upgrades to turn a Qatari jet into Air Force One and to pour as much as $45 million into a parade recently added to the Army’s 250th birthday bash, which happens to coincide with Mr. Trump’s birthday on Saturday.
Lawmakers may quiz Mr. Hegseth on the latest searing images coming out of the immigration raid protests in Los Angeles. Mr. Hegseth has deployed about 700 active-duty Marines to assist more than 4,100 National Guard troops in protecting federal buildings and personnel. But there are questions about what the troops will have to do and how much it will all cost.
Under the Posse Comitatus Act, troops are prohibited from policing U.S. citizens on American soil. Invoking the Insurrection Act, which allows troops to do that, is incredibly rare, and it’s not clear if Mr. Trump plans to do it.
The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric Smith, will be on Capitol Hill testifying at a separate budget hearing at the same time as Mr. Hegseth and is likely to face similar questions.
What Hegseth has focused on so far
Mr. Hegseth has spent vast amounts of time during his first five months in office promoting the social changes he’s making at the Pentagon. He’s been far less visible in the administration’s more critical international security crises and negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and Iran.
Most recently, Mr. Hegseth directed the renaming of a Navy ship that had honoured Harvey Milk, a slain gay rights activist who served as a sailor during the Korean War. His spokesman, Sean Parnell, said the renaming was needed to ensure “the names attached to all DOD installations and assets are reflective of the commander-in-chief’s priorities, our nation’s history, and the warrior ethos.”
Mr. Hegseth has posted numerous videos of his morning workouts with troops or of himself signing directives to purge diversity and equity programs and online content from the military. He has boasted of removing transgender service members from the force and firing so-called woke generals, many of whom were women.
He was on the international stage about a week ago, addressing an annual national security conference in Asia about threats from China. But a trip to NATO headquarters last week was quick and quiet, and he deliberately skipped a gathering of about 50 allies and partners where they discussed ongoing support for Ukraine.
Use of Signal messaging app
Mr. Hegseth’s hearing Tuesday before the House Appropriations Defence Subcommittee will be his first public appearance on Capitol Hill since he squeaked through his Senate confirmation with a tie-breaking vote. It was the closest vote of any Cabinet member.
While he has talked a lot about making the military more lethal, it was his use of the unclassified, unsecured Signal messaging app that quickly caught public attention.
Set up by then-national security adviser Mike Waltz, a group chat included Mr. Hegseth and other senior administration leaders and was used to share information about upcoming military strikes in Yemen.
The chat became a public embarrassment because the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently added to it. Mr. Waltz took responsibility for the gaffe, but Mr. Hegseth was roundly criticised for sharing details about the military strikes in this chat and in another one that included his wife and brother.
Multiple investigations are looking into his use of Signal. The Defence Department’s acting inspector general has been looking into the initial chat at the request of the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Pentagon’s watchdog is also reviewing whether any of Mr. Hegseth’s aides were asked to delete any Signal messages.
Controversial Pentagon spending
While any number of those issues could come up at the House Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday, money issues are more likely to be the focus of the hearings Tuesday in the House and Wednesday before the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee.
Already defence leaders have been grilled in other hearings on the plans to retrofit the Qatari jet and the costs of the military parade. Mr. Trump has long wanted a parade, and Army leaders defended it as a good way to attract new recruits.
Other questions may involve the costs of expanding the use of military forces to secure the southern border, the plans for the Golden Dome missile defence program, and how the department intends to fund modernisation programmes for drones and other critical weapons systems.
Donald Trump presidency: Follow live updates.
We’re following the latest updates and analysis on the Donald Trump administration. Follow along live. US-China trade talks in London enter their second day — 5:48 a.m. The US and China are holding a second day of talks Tuesday in London aimed at easing their trade dispute. President Trump plans to speak at Fort Bragg on Tuesday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US Army as he deploys the military in an attempt to quiet immigration protests in Los Angeles. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to field sharp questions from members of Congress about his tumultuous start as Pentagon chief, including his sharing of sensitive military details over a Signal chat. The Trump administration is slashing billions of dollars in research grants for health and science.
US-China trade talks in London enter their second day — 5:48 a.m. Link copied
By the Associated Press
The US and China are holding a second day of talks Tuesday in London aimed at easing their trade dispute, after President Trump said China is “not easy” but the US was “doing well” at the negotiations.
A Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier He Lifeng met US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer for several hours on Monday at Lancaster House, an ornate 200-year-old mansion near Buckingham Palace.
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Ozempic, the internet, GPS: Here are 5 things New England researchers helped develop with federal funding — 5:29 a.m. Link copied
By Emily Spatz, Globe Correspondent
The internet. Barcodes. The COVID vaccine. Life as we know it now wouldn’t be possible without these seemingly unrelated scientific breakthroughs. But they do have one thing in common — they were developed thanks to a partnership between the federal government and universities, which boomed after World War II.
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Researchers in New England helped pioneer many of them, reshaping society and medicine drastically in just a few decades. But further progress is in jeopardy, researchers say, with the Trump administration slashing billions of dollars in research grants for health and science.
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Hegseth faces Congress for first time since Signal leaks and Marine deployment to Los Angeles — 12:42 a.m. Link copied
By the Associated Press
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to field sharp questions from members of Congress about his tumultuous start as Pentagon chief, including his sharing of sensitive military details over a Signal chat, in three separate Capitol Hill hearings beginning Tuesday.
Lawmakers also have made it clear they are unhappy that Hegseth has not provided details on the administration’s first proposed defense budget, which President Trump has said would total $1 trillion, a significant increase over the current spending level of more than $800 billion.
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It will be lawmakers’ first chance to ask Hegseth about a myriad of other controversial spending by the Pentagon, including plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on security upgrades to turn a Qatari jet into Air Force One, and to pour as much as $45 million into a parade recently added to the Army’s 250th birthday bash, which happens to coincide with Trump’s birthday on Saturday.
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Trump heads to Fort Bragg while facing criticism for deploying military at Los Angeles protests — 12:11 a.m. Link copied
By the Associated Press
President Trump plans to speak at Fort Bragg on Tuesday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US Army as he deploys the military in an attempt to quiet immigration protests in Los Angeles.
Fort Bragg, located near Fayetteville, North Carolina, serves as headquarters for US Army Special Operations Command. Highly trained units like the Green Berets and the Rangers are based there.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will also be at Tuesday’s event, along with service members, veterans, and their families.
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St. Cloud Police Arrest Kids in Attempted Car Theft, Teen Auto Crime Trend Emerges
Police were called about suspicious activity along the 1100 block of 10th Avenue Southeast, for multiple juveniles attempting to break into a parked car. Not far from the original scene, officers spotted a group of kids who matched the description. They fled and were arrested after a brief foot chase. Police say the kids were between the ages of 12 and 14.
At 5:20, police were called about suspicious activity along the 1100 block of 10th Avenue Southeast, for multiple juveniles attempting to break into a parked car.
The suspects were gone when police arrived, but their search didn’t end there. Police began canvassing the neighborhood. Not far from the original scene, officers spotted a group of kids who matched the description. They fled and were arrested after a brief foot chase. Police say the kids were between the ages of 12 and 14.
The case will be sent to the Sherburne County Attorney’s Office for possible charges. This incident marks the second such arrest in recent weeks, highlighting a troubling trend that has put the St. Cloud Police Department on high alert.
The department has already issued warnings to residents about teenagers specifically targeting Kia and Hyundai vehicles, taking advantage of a known defect in their ignition switches that makes them easier to steal. Other cities in Minnesota saw soaring car thefts years ago, but the problem is new to St. Cloud.
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St. Cloud Police Seek More Victims in Ongoing Indecent Exposure Investigation
St. Cloud Police have a person of interest and are looking for more victims. The suspect gets victims’ attention by waving them over to a vehicle. He then exposes himself while performing a lewd act in his car.
Investigators say between June of 2024 and today, they’ve taken multiple reports of women being outside walking, running, or standing being targeted. The suspect gets their attention by waving the victim over to a vehicle. He then exposes himself while performing a lewd act in his car.
Officers believe there are more victims out there and would like to hear from them as they build a case. Anyone who has been targeted by this behavior or has more information on the suspect can call the SCPD at 320-345-4356 or 320-521-1200, or they can reach out to Tri-County Crime Stoppers.
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Copyright 2025 Leighton Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be broadcast, published, redistributed, or rewritten, in any way without consent.