‘Be a Man and Answer the Question!’: Slotkin Erupts at Hegseth Over Military Deployment and ‘Shoot at Legs’ Order
Democratic Senator Alyssa Slotkin Accuses Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth of Tainting the Military and Lying About Unlawful Orders, Demanding a Straight Answer on Protester Arrests
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A routine Senate hearing devolved into a fiery confrontation after Democratic Senator Alyssa Slotkin sharply snapped at Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, accusing him of avoiding direct answers about the controversial deployment of U.S. troops against protesters and challenging his commitment to an “apolitical military.“
The most dramatic moment came when Slotkin, frustrated by Hegseth’s evasions, directly commanded him to “Be a man” and list the military’s orders regarding the detention of U.S. citizens.
The Fundamental Conflict: An Apolitical Military
Slotkin, who had expressed grave concerns during Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, reiterated her fear that he was at the helm to use the military in ways that “contradict the Constitution” and “taint” the ideal of an apolitical military.
She shifted the conversation from the “theoretical” to the non-theoretical, citing the deployment of 4,700 active-duty troops to Los Angeles against the wishes of the Governor—an action she noted was the first time since 1965 that Guard troops had been deployed without a Governor’s permission.
Slotkin emphasized the severity of using the military as a first resort, not a last resort, in domestic affairs, stating: “If you love your country and you want an apolitical military, then it should be the last resort, not the first resort in our country to use them.“
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The ‘Yes or No’ Showdown
The central issue quickly became whether Hegseth had authorized the uniform military (not law enforcement) to detain or arrest protesters in Los Angeles.
Slotkin repeatedly demanded a simple “yes or no” answer, but Hegseth refused to provide one, initially dismissing the question as “amusing speculation” and claiming the troops’ orders were “public.“
The confrontation escalated dramatically when Slotkin shouted:
“And what is the order then? List it out for us. Be a man. List it out. Did you authorize them to detain or arrest? That is a fundamental issue of democracy. I’m I’m not trying to be a snot here. I’m just trying to get the actual Did you authorize them to do that?”
