Schatz Presses Secretary Hegseth, Defense Leaders On Use Of Military Against Protesters, Demands Transparency On Foreign Gift Of Luxury Plane

WASHINGTON – At a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) challenged Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine on President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to respond to protests in Los Angeles. He also questioned the administration’s acceptance of a luxury aircraft from the government of Qatar to be used as Air Force One.

“Is the United States being invaded by a foreign nation?” Schatz asked General Caine. “Is there a rebellion somewhere in the United States?”

General Caine responded, “I do not see any state-sponsored folks invading,” adding, “There’s definitely some frustrated folks out there.”

Senator Schatz asked Secretary Hegseth, “Did you just potentially mobilize every Guard everywhere and every service member everywhere? I mean, create the framework for that?”

Hegseth replied that the order was intended in part to help the administration “get ahead of a problem” if protests expanded to other areas.

Schatz also raised questions about the Defense Department’s recent acceptance of a luxury airplane from the Qatari government to replace Air Force One, asking, “Did the Department of Defense initiate the conversation with the Qataris? How did that go?”

Hegseth said, “I would have to go back and review it, but we’ve been a part of the ongoing conversation.”

“I think it kind of matters who is asking, doesn’t it?… If we’re going to disagree, let’s disagree with the same set of facts,” said Senator Schatz. “Let’s have the documentation on the Qatari aircraft.”

A video of the exchange is available here.

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