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

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was questioned by Senate Democrats during a congressional hearing about recent Trump administration military actions. Sen. Elissa Slotkin asked whether the military was authorized to detain protesters or use lethal force, but Hegseth dismissed the claims. Tensions escalated when Sen. Jacky Rosen challenged Hegseth on the firing of top security officials, citing far‑right social media influence. Hegseth refused to answer, leading Rosen to accuse him of being feckless and unresponsive.