Hegseth Flips the Script, Destroys Dem Rep’s ‘Marines Not Needed in LA’ Narrative [WATCH]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confronted Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) on Tuesday over her criticism of President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy federal forces in response to violent unrest in Los Angeles, California.

Hegseth pointed to Minnesota’s handling of the 2020 riots as evidence of delayed and ineffective state-level response under Democratic leadership.

The exchange took place after McCollum criticized Trump’s recent deployment of National Guard troops and U.S. Marines in Los Angeles following riots triggered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests of individuals in the country illegally, many with criminal records.

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“Governor Walz made the decision to call up the Minnesota National Guard [in 2020],” McCollum said.

“At no point did we need, of the citizens of Minnesota, to request that the Marines be deployed. Our state and local law enforcement, along with our National Guard, who have worked on crowd control, they were more than enough. They were more than capable of handling this situation. History has proven that law enforcement and the National Guard are more than capable of handling situations more volatile than what happened this weekend.”

Hegseth responded by challenging McCollum’s assessment, referencing the violence that took place in Minnesota following the death of George Floyd in May 2020.

“Well congresswoman, thank you for the question. You are right, we are both originally from Minnesota and that’s why I recall 2020 quite well when Governor Walz abandoned a police precinct and allowed it to be burned to the ground,” Hegseth said.

“And [he] also allowed five days of chaos to occur inside the streets of Minneapolis. The police precinct, ma’am, was abandoned and burned to the ground and because of that, the National Guard was eventually, far too late, mobilized.”

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Hegseth further explained the Trump administration’s rationale for deploying federal forces in Los Angeles.

“And President Trump recognizes a situation like that, improperly hindered by a governor, like it was by Governor Walz, if it gets out of control, it is bad a situation for the citizens of any location,” he said.

“So in Los Angeles, we believe that ICE, which is a federal law enforcement agency, has the right to safely conduct operations in any state and any jurisdiction in the country.”

In response to recent riots in Los Angeles, President Trump ordered the deployment of approximately 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines.

The riots were marked by acts of arson, the use of fireworks and Molotov cocktails, and the looting of local businesses.

Despite live footage aired by CNN showing fires and destruction, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass claimed Monday that the city remained “calm.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom filed legal action against the Trump administration, objecting to the federal deployment in Los Angeles.

The conversation drew attention back to the events of May 2020 in Minneapolis, when rioters set fire to the Third Precinct police station after it was surrendered by law enforcement.

The New York Times reported that the riots caused approximately $500 million in damages across Minnesota.

Following the destruction of the precinct, Governor Walz called the city’s initial response an “abject failure” and assumed responsibility for the slow deployment of the state’s National Guard.

Walz initially authorized a limited deployment on the night the precinct burned and later ordered a full mobilization on May 30, 2020.

The exchange between Hegseth and McCollum comes amid renewed national debate over the appropriate use of federal forces during periods of civil unrest, and whether states are effectively managing violent demonstrations without federal assistance.

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