Democratic senators hammer Hegseth as he trades barbs with them during testy hearing

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced intense questioning from Senate Democrats during a congressional hearing over recent Trump administration military actions. Sen. Elissa Slotkin pressed Hegseth on whether the military was authorized to detain protesters or use lethal force—claims he dismissed, insisting no such orders were given. Tensions rose further when Sen. Jacky Rosen challenged him on the firing of top security officials, allegedly influenced by far‑right social media figures, ABC News has reported. Hegseth refused to directly answer, prompting Rosen to accuse him of being “feckless or complicit” and “unserious” in his role.