Sen. Slotkin Questions Sec. Hegseth on Military Use Against Protesters

Military Deployment and Protester Detainment

• 📌 Senator Slotkin expressed concern about the potential use of the military in ways that contradict the Constitution and taint its apolitical nature.
• ⚠️ She questioned Secretary Hegseth about accepting an order, similar to one given to his predecessor, to deploy active duty troops against unarmed protesters and potentially shoot at them.
• ⚡ Hegseth stated that troops deployed to Los Angeles have very clear orders and are there to protect law enforcement, not to arrest citizens.
• ⚖️ He clarified that while the military can temporarily detain individuals for self-defense and hand them over to ICE, there is no arresting of U.S. military personnel against protesters.

Constitutional Concerns and Political Games

• 🎯 Slotkin emphasized that using the military as a first resort in domestic situations is a fundamental issue for American democracy.
• 💬 Hegseth refuted the idea that the military's actions were political games, stating that troops are given clear orders and are there to protect law enforcement.
• 🔍 Slotkin pressed for a direct yes or no answer regarding authorization for the military to detain or arrest protesters.

Lethal Force and Predecessor's Stance

• 💥 Slotkin referenced her predecessor's account of being asked to shoot protesters in the legs and praised him for not accepting the order, suggesting he had more courage.
• 🗣️ Hegseth advised caution regarding what is read in books, implying skepticism about the predecessor's account.
• 🇺🇸 Slotkin stressed the importance of an apolitical military and not having citizens fear their own military.

Cyber Tools and Iran Planning

• 💻 When asked about authorizing U.S. military cyber tools to investigate protesters, Hegseth responded that he was not aware of any such authorization.
• 🌍 Regarding Iran, Hegseth stated that the U.S. has plans for everything, in response to questions about day-after planning for potential ground troop deployment or cost assessments.