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By Dan Gooding and Gabe Whisnant
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to say whether he would comply with a court ruling against President Donald Trump's decision to deploy active-duty Marines to Los Angeles.
Pressed by lawmakers, including Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, Hegseth avoided directly answering whether he would follow a court's decision.
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"What I can say is we should not have local judges determining foreign policy or national security policy for the country," Hegseth said.
Why It Matters
The back-and-forth came afterPresident Trump deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles in response to widespread protests over mass deportations—moves that have drawn legal opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is suing the administration over the federal intervention.
What To Know
Hegseth was answering questions from the committee looking at the Pentagon's budget for 2026, which included discussions around the United States' roles in the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts.
Representative Khanna turned attention to a situation that unfolded within the country, referring to questions Democratic Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin had asked Hegseth on the legal authority the Trump administration has to deploy Marines and other troops to California.
Khanna said that not only did he not want Marines in Iran, but he also did not want them in California.
"You're arguing the Marines should be allowed to defend federal property, I disagree with you, that's your argument," Khanna said. "Here's where I hope we can agree: whatever the federal court decides, will you abide by it?"
The Secretary of Defense said it was a developing situation, with Khanna pressing him on whether he would abide by whatever the court decides. Hegseth said: "This is not my lane."
His skirting of the question reflects a wider unrest from the White House when it comes to district and local federal judges issuing rulings that stand in the way of the administration's policies.
U.S. Department of Justice attorneys filed their arguments to U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer on Thursday morning, laying out how the administration believes President Trump "has every right under the Constitution and by statute to call forth the National Guard and Marines to quell lawless violence directed against enforcement of federal law."
Again, the administration alleged Governor Newsom and the local police had failed to protect L.A. from riots that broke out from anti-ICE protests. Newsom and California leaders argue they had the situation under control and that they want to simply stop Marines and the National Guard from being used to carry out immigration enforcement.
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What People Are Saying
Secretary Hegseth, responding to Khanna Thursday: "What I can say is we should not have local judges determining foreign policy or national security policy for the country."
California Governor Gavin Newsom, responding to Hegseth's remarks on X, formerly Twitter: "This is not normal."
What's Next
A hearing on the lawsuit is due to take place Thursday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. PT.
Update 06/12/25 1:14 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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