Rep. Jill Tokuda Questions Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth on Elon Musk, Jan 6, and Use of Force

Briefing Elon Musk

• 🎯 Elon Musk was invited to the Pentagon for a general discussion, not to discuss war plans with China.
• 💡 The invitation was to gain input on how to make the Department of Defense (DoD) more efficient, leveraging Musk's leadership in Doge efforts.
• ⚠️ Concerns were raised about a conflict of interest due to Musk's financial ties and billions in DoD contracts, potentially giving him firsthand knowledge for future bids.
• ✅ The Secretary stated that the DoD shows no preference to any company based on capabilities and is grateful for companies like Musk's that benefit national defense.

January 6th Response

• 📌 The discussion shifted to the January 6th Capitol attack, with questions about whether the National Guard and Marines would have been deployed.
• ⚡ It was noted that President Trump requested the National Guard in advance, but there was a delay in their deployment.
• 🗣️ The representative inferred that the Secretary would have sent in the National Guard and Marines on that day.

Use of Military Force on Protesters

• ❓ A direct question was posed to Secretary Hegseth regarding whether he would carry out or issue an order from the President to have the military fire upon protesters exercising their First Amendment rights.
• 🚫 Hegseth refused to answer a direct "yes" or "no," calling it a "false hypothetical" and stating that troops follow standard rules of engagement.
• ⚠️ The representative pressed, highlighting current protests and the fact that Hegseth previously failed to deny the conclusion that he would carry out an order to shoot protesters in the legs during his confirmation hearing.
• 🇺🇸 The exchange concluded with the representative suggesting Hegseth's reluctance to answer implied his answer was yes, contrasting it with the left's focus on insurrection.