Hegseth clashes with Democrats over LA response, submarines
by TheHill.com -
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth butted heads with Democrats on the House Appropriations subcommittee on defense Tuesday morning, declining to discuss the costs of President Trump’s use of troops in responding to Los Angeles protests against deportation sweeps.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) shouted at Hegseth after he repeatedly criticized past submarine investments, commanding him to give details on future planning.
Eventually, the LA deployment cost would be pegged at $134 million by a Hegseth aide.
Hegseth is also set to join President Trump on a trip to Fort Bragg on Tuesday, a day after deploying hundreds of Marines and calling up 2,000 more National Guard members to Los Angeles, where protests have roiled parts of the city for days but were more muted Monday.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and the state’s attorney general, Rob Bonta (D), have sued Trump over his unilateral National Guard deployment.
Back in Washington, the House returns to start parsing the rescissions package sent last week by the White House, which would make DOGE cuts permanent.
Other stories of note today:
Trump on Insurrection Act: ‘I would certainly invoke it’
Alex Gangitano
Trump told reporters he would “certainly” invoke the Insurrection Act to respond to the demonstrations on the streets of Los Angeles over his immigration policies, if he deemed the move necessary.
“If there’s an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We’ll see,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “But I can tell you, last night was terrible. The night before that was terrible.”
When asked what would lead him to decide an insurrection is taking place, Trump said that in certain areas of Los Angeles last night “you could have called it an insurrection. It was terrible.”
22 minutes ago
Newsom responds to Speaker Johnson 'tarred and feathered' comment
rzilbermints
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) responded to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) saying Tuesday morning he should be “tarred and feathered.”
“Good to know we’re skipping the arrest and going straight for the 1700’s style forms of punishment. A fitting threat given the @GOP want to bring our country back to the 18th Century,” he wrote on X.
26 minutes ago
Trump says National Guard will stay in LA 'until there is no danger'
Alex Gangitano
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the National Guard will remain in Los Angeles “until there is no danger.”
“It’s commonsense… when there is no danger, they’ll leave,” he added.
The Pentagon estimates the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles to suppress immigration raid protests will cost around $134 million
30 minutes ago
Pelosi hits Trump on LA: Where was National Guard on Jan. 6
Mike Lillis
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) hammered President Trump on Tuesday for tapping the National Guard to help quell protests in Los Angeles, noting that the president had refused congressional pleas to take that step when a violent mob attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“In a bipartisan way, on Jan. 6 — with violence against the Constitution, against the Congress and against the United States Capitol — we begged the president of the United States to send in the National Guard,” Pelosi told reporters. “He would not do it.”
Trump sent the National Guard to Los Angeles without the consent of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who argued Trump’s actions risked elevating violence. He did so amid protests against raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The White House argues local officials did not do enough to curtail protesters endangering federal property and officials. The Pentagon has since sent Marines to Los Angeles.
The Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol came after months of Trump making false claims that he had won the 2020 election, only to have it stolen away by a vast conspiracy of corrupt election officials, foreign governments and underhanded software companies. No evidence has emerged to back those claims.
31 minutes ago
Trump says he talked to Newsom 'a day ago'
Alex Gangitano
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday that he spoke with California Gov. Gavin Newsom “a day ago.”
“I called him up and told him, you gotta do a better job. He’s doing a bad job,” the president said.
He also insisted that some demonstrators in Los Angeles are paid insurrectionists and added that he would invoke with Insurrection Act “if there’s an insurrection… we’ll see.”
40 minutes ago
Trump says Iran 'much more aggressive' in nuclear talks: 'It's disappointing'
Brett Samuels
President Trump said Tuesday that Iran was acting “much more aggressive” in its negotiations around a potential nuclear deal as the two sides prepared to hold another round of talks.
“Iran is acting much differently in negotiations than it did just days ago,” Trump told Bret Baier of Fox News. “Much more aggressive. It’s surprising to me. It’s disappointing, but we are set to meet again tomorrow — we’ll see.”
Trump a day earlier sounded a pessimistic note on efforts to broker an agreement with Tehran to put limits on its nuclear programs.
“They’re just asking for things you can’t do. They don’t want to give up what they have to give up,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “They seek enrichment. We can’t have enrichment. We want just the opposite, and so far they’re not there. I hate to say that, because the alternative is a very, very dire one.”
an hour ago
GOP subcommittee chair prods Hegseth for budget details
colinmeyn
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Ca.), the top House appropriator for armed services, told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday that lawmakers needed more information ahead of markups on President Trump’s 2026 budget.
Calvert gave closing remarks after Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) complained that House appropriators have no “J books” from the Pentagon, which provide detailed justifications for spending requests.
Calvert said he agreed, but indicated the committee will still mark up the armed services portion of the budget on Tuesday. He noted the Senate was going to work out its budget bills after seeing what moves forward through reconciliation.
“But we don’t have the luxury of time. We’ll just have to work out the differences we have in conference,” he said.
Calvert asked Hegseth to prod the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to send the details of budget requests as soon as possible.
“You might talk to your friends at OMB, if OMB has any friends,” he quipped. “I don’t know if they do.”
an hour ago
Body found in LA looting, protest area
Ashleigh Fields
Los Angeles police said Tuesday that a body had been discovered in an area where looting has been reported amid protests against federal immigration enforcement actions in the city.
The individual was found near West 3rd Street and Broadway shortly after 1:30 a.m. local time, according to KTLA.
Read more here.
an hour ago
Pentagon: LA deployment will cost $134M
Ellen Mitchell
The Pentagon estimates the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles to suppress immigration raid protests will cost around $134 million, the Defense Department’s acting comptroller said Tuesday.
“The current estimated cost is $134 million, which is largely just [temporary duty travel] costs, travel, housing, food, etc.,” Bryn MacDonnell, a special assistant to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, told the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.
Responding to questions from Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) as to how the deployments would be funded, MacDonnell added that the money will come from the Pentagon’s operation and maintenance accounts.
The answer came more than an hour after Hegseth originally refused to answer the question as to the cost of President Trump’s decision to call in some 4,000 California National Guard troops and 700 active duty Marines to Los Angeles to quell protest of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids.
an hour ago
California Republican pushes back on Trump immigration actions
Emily Brooks
Battleground district Republican Rep. David Valadao, who represents an agricultural district in California, is pushing back on Trump administration immigration enforcement actions.
He said in a post on X: “I remain concerned about ongoing ICE operations throughout CA and will continue my conversations with the administration—urging them to prioritize the removal of known criminals over the hardworking people who have lived peacefully in the Valley for years.”
2 hours ago
Murray presses NIH chief on impact of funding cuts
Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) pressed NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya for data on the impact of the Trump administration’s requested $18 billion in cuts to the agency’s budget.
Murray asked Bhattacharya how many total employees have left the NIH since Trump took office and how many clinical trials have been impacted by the grants that have been terminated, frozen or delayed by the administration.
She also asked how many fewer clinical trails would the NIH fund next year if the requested budget cuts are approved. Bhattacharya could not answer any of the questions but committed to giving the senator responses to all of them by the end of the day.
2 hours ago
Thune not sure what authority Trump using to deploy Marines to Los Angeles
Alexander Bolton
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) supports President Trump’s deployment of federal resources to quell the riots in Los Angeles, but he’s not sure what authorities Trump is relying on to deploy 700 active-duty Marines to a U.S. city.
“I don’t know the particulars on what authorities exist there but my assumption is that the administration has been looking carefully at what he can and can’t do under the law. Obviously, the 1798 Act is available to them if they choose to exercise it,” Thune said, citing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which authorizes the president during a declared war, invasion or predatory incursion to detain and deport citizens of an enemy nation.
Thune argued that a federal response was “warranted” because local authorities failed to contain property destruction and the threat of violence.
“In this case at least there were clear just failures on the part of state and local officials, which is why I think it required the president to take a federal response,” he told reporters. “There was a security situation out there that needed to be addressed and I think ultimately the president’s objective is to keep people safe.”
2 hours ago
Speaker Johnson: Newsom should be 'tarred and feathered'
Emily Brooks
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) says California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) should be “tarred and feathered.”
His comments came in response to a question about whether he agreed with President Trump’s sentiment that Tom Homan, his border czar, should arrest the Democratic California governor as he rebuffs the administration’s moves to deploy the National Guard to quell protests in Los Angeles.
Asked about that remark and if Newsom should face legal consequences, Johnson said: “I’m not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested, but he ought to be tarred and feathered.”
2 hours ago
Bhattacharya hopful 'resolution' can be reached at universities where grant funding has been paused
Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) pressed NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya about the Trump administration’s requested $18 billion in cuts to the agency’s budget, noting that the cuts will prevent hundreds of new grants from being funded next year.
Millions of dollars worth of grant funding have already been frozen at universities across the country, Durbin noted, pausing research on cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
“How are you able to able to reconcile these budget decisions with the reality of research and what it means to alleviate suffering and more importantly to give people hope?” he asked.
Bhattacharya responded by saying he is “hopeful that a resolution” can be made with universities where grants have been paused.
2 hours ago
DeLauro erupts at Hegseth
colinmeyn
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) erupted at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during her turn questioning him Tuesday morning’s budget hearing.
DeLauro shouted at Hegseth after he repeatedly criticized past investments in America’s submarine fleet. She said the committee needed more information about his specific plans to speed up submarine building.
“Give us the details,” she shouted.
2 hours ago
Hegseth won't discuss LA deployment costs
Ellen Mitchell
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wouldn’t answer questions on Tuesday about the costs of President Trump’s deployment of National Guard members and Marines to Los Angeles.
There’s little precedent for the move, coming in response to protests against Trump’s deportation policies. Both Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) have embraced the fight.
Betty McCollum (MN), ranking member on the House Appropriations armed services subcommittee, pressed Hegseth Tuesday morning on the costs of the announced deployments, during a hearing on the 2026 Pentagon budget.
He repeatedly spoke around the question, leading McCollum to say she would reclaim her time if he refused to answer.
Read the full story here.
3 hours ago
Baldwin pushes back against requested NIH budget cuts
Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech
“The administration says it will ensure the United States remains the global leader in biomedical research, but its actions and the budget request that would cut the number of grants funded by NIH by 150,000 next year clearly show those are empty words,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) during the Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the NIH budget.
The Trump administration has requested $18 billion in cuts to the agency’s 2026 budget. Those cuts would result in more than 1,000 fewer grants receiving funding through the NIH.
3 hours ago
Mark Warner: Trump 'exceeding his power'
kwadington
In a Tuesday post on X, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) accused Trump of “exceeding his power” in deploying the California National Guard and the Marines in Los Angeles.
He claimed the action was aimed at distracting from his feud with Elon Musk and disgruntlement over the reconciliation bill being debated in the Senate.
“I support the right of peaceful protest. I had plenty when I was governor,” he said in a video post.
“We all know violence is never the answer. Unfortunately, what’s happening in California, where Donald Trump is once again exceeding his power, bringing in National Guard over the objection of the governor and now calling up the Marines, which clearly I believe disrespects their role. Why is he doing all of this? Because he wants to take attention away from his breakup with the Elon Musk, and this awful, awful, cruel bill.”
3 hours ago
NIH budget hearing kicks off
Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech
The Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the National Institutes of Health’s 2026 budget has begun.
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya is expected to answer questions regarding the Trump administration’s requested $18 billion in cuts to the agency. Those cuts amount to a 40 percent reduction in the NIH’s budget next year.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) has called the requested cuts “proof” that the lawmakers need to judge the administration’s “intentions and its priorities.”
Watch the hearing here.
3 hours ago
Hegseth starting his testimony
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is beginning his testimony in front of a House Appropriations subcommittee.
3 hours ago
Anti-ICE protests pop up in cities across the country
Ashleigh Fields
Protests arose across the country in response Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in Los Angeles that resulted in President Trump deploying thousands of National Guard troops and Marines to the city.
Demonstrators gathered in multiple cities to support protests in Los Angeles.
See details here.
4 hours ago
Senate GOP deeply divided over cutting cost of ‘big, beautiful bill’
Alexander Bolton
Senate Republicans are deeply divided over how to cut the cost of House-passed legislation to enact President Trump’s agenda, which Elon Musk has attacked as a “mountain of disgusting pork” and fiscal conservatives on Capitol Hill say doesn’t do enough to cut the deficit.
Facing a jittery bond market and scathing criticism from Musk, GOP lawmakers have expanded their search for ways to reduce the deficit by cutting Medicare, the Defense Department and the Federal Reserve — areas of the budget that were considered off limits just a few weeks ago.
But each new proposal is creating new divisions.
Read the full story here.
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