Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, left, on Thursday, June 12, 2025, responded to questions from lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee about Pentagon plans to invade Greenland and Panama. Air Force Gen. John Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is seated to his right. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday avoided answering lawmakers whether the Pentagon has plans to take Greenland and Panama by force, saying the Defense Department develops plans for “any particular contingency.”
Hegseth’s refusal to give a direct answer to the House Armed Services Committee alarmed Democrats and Republicans, who repeatedly asked him to clarify the Pentagon’s stance toward two territories eyed by President Donald Trump.
“It is not your testimony today that there are plans at the Pentagon for taking by force or invading Greenland, correct?” said Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio. “Because I sure as hell hope that it is not your testimony.”
Hegseth responded: “We look forward to working with Greenland to make sure it is secured from any potential threats.”
Trump has said he wants to annex Greenland, a territory of Denmark, “for national security purposes” and expressed desire to reassert American control over the Panama Canal, by military means if necessary.
Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the committee, asked Hegseth whether it was the policy of the Pentagon that the U.S. needs to be prepared to take Greenland and Panama by force.
“Our job at the DOD is to have plans,” Hegseth said, referring to the Defense Department. “I think the American people would want the Pentagon to have plans for any particular contingency and thankfully we are in the planning business.”
Smith said he did not believe the American people voted for Trump “because they were hoping we would invade Greenland.”
The tense exchange began a series of other confrontations between Hegseth and Democrats, who demanded the Pentagon chief stick to simple “yes” or “no” answers as they questioned his controversial tenure.
Some Democrats even demanded his resignation.
Hegseth deflected when asked if he would respect a federal district or Supreme Court decision on the deployment of active-duty Marines to Los Angeles, where protests against immigration raids have raged for nearly a week.
“What I can say is we should not have local judges determining foreign policy or national security policy for the country,” he said in response to questioning by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
“You’re not willing to say you would respect those decisions?” Khanna asked.
Hegseth reiterated, “Local district judges shouldn’t make foreign policy,” later adding, “We’re not here to defy a Supreme Court ruling.”
The defense secretary also refused to answer whether he would take accountability if the Pentagon’s inspector general finds he shared classified information in Signal, a commercial messaging app.
The results of an investigation into Hegseth’s use of the app to discuss plans for U.S. strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen is expected in the coming days.
Hegseth said: “The Houthis were held accountable” for shooting at American ships and later noted he serves “at the pleasure of the president.”
He repeated he could not publicly discuss the classification markings of any of the information associated with the Yemen military operations.
“It’s not classified to disclose whether or not it was classified,” said Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a former Marine Corps officer.
Several Democrats, who are military veterans, called for Hegseth to step down as defense secretary during the hearing, which marked his first appearance before the committee and his third on Capitol Hill this week.
“I think your tenure as secretary of defense has been shameful and weak and you should resign,” said Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., a former Army intelligence officer.
Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., a Marine Corps veteran, told Hegseth that he should “just get the hell out.”
The remarks prompted several Republican veterans to admonish Democrats, with former Army Special Forces officer Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., saying Hegseth was owed an apology.
Hegseth will next face questions from lawmakers in a hearing on the defense budget with the Senate Armed Services Committee scheduled for Wednesday.
