Hegseth Grilled on Troops at Polls: President or Constitution?

0:00It's April 30, entertainment and celebrity news today starts now AI powered and spotlight ready. I'm Cory with the story. Pete Higgseth faced tough questions during his almost six-hour testimony before the House Armed Services Committee. Hawaii Democrat Jill Tokuda pressed him on whether he'd follow a potential order from President Trump to send troops to polling spots during the midterms. Higgseth pushed back hard, calling it an insinuation of unlawful orders. He pointed to how the military teamed up with law enforcement for 15 months straight, saying places like Los Angeles avoided chaos that summer. Thanks to that help. Tokuda doubled down, citing Trump's earlier comments to the New York Times about regretting not using the National Guard to grab voting machines in. Swing states after 2020. Higgseth fired back by claiming Joe Biden sent National Guard troops to polls in 15 states during the 2024 election. But that's not accurate. Those states activated their own Guard units to back local officials, not a Biden move.

1:02Tokuda kept it simple, asking straight up if he'd picked the President or the Constitution. Higgseth adhaged again, repeating his points without ruling out troops at polls. This exchange highlights the ongoing debate over military roles and elections, leaving plenty of questions hanging as confirmation talks roll on.