Sen. Slots Harsh Words for Hegseth
During a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday, Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) expressed strong criticisms of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. She suggested that Mark Esper, President Trump’s former defense secretary, exhibited “more courage” than Hegseth, particularly regarding his refusal to act against unarmed protesters.
“Esper had more courage and conviction than you,” Slotkin remarked, backing up her claim with a reference to Esper’s decisions during protests following George Floyd’s murder.
Esper, who served as defense secretary briefly before Trump dismissed him after the 2020 election, recounted in his 2022 memoir that Trump had suggested shooting protesters in the feet during the unrest. He shared his attempts to manage Trump’s expectations without escalating tensions further, describing Trump’s frustration with ongoing protests as palpable.
“He asked, ‘Can’t you just shoot them? Shoot them in the feet or something?'” Esper wrote, reflecting on those tense moments.
Slotkin challenged Hegseth regarding whether he received similar directives during his recent protest assignment in Los Angeles, where Trump had deployed national security forces to safeguard federal workers amidst opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The protests in LA were met with rubber bullets and “non-fatal” measures, leading to an incident where an Australian journalist was struck in the leg with a rubber bullet during live coverage.
At his January confirmation hearing, Hegseth had not dismissed the idea of using lethal force against protesters if such orders came from Trump. “I will never provide orders that the president has not given me publicly or in any manner,” he had stated at the time.
Slotkin pressed him again on the topic. “Did you receive an order that would allow shooting unarmed protesters?” she questioned, not amused by Hegseth’s laughter. “It indicates we might be misunderstanding our identity as a nation,” she continued, emphasizing the need for a non-political military.
Hegseth, however, did not address her question directly. “I acknowledge your references in the book—except for the Bible,” he replied, before mentioning that military personnel can act in self-defense by temporarily detaining protesters and turning them over to immigration enforcement.
