If Trump Orders Soldiers To Shoot Americans, He Seems To Have A Willing ‘Yes Man’ At The Pentagon

At his confirmation hearing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wouldn’t say whether he’d follow an order from Donald Trump to shoot protesters. He was asked directly if he would’ve followed such an order back in 2020 something Trump had reportedly wanted at the time  but Hegseth didn’t give a clear yes or no. Instead, he avoided answering by bringing up how he was personally on the ground during the protests near the White House, saying he saw Secret Service agents injured and property being damaged.

When pushed again, Hegseth said Trump is skilled at keeping his plans private and that he wouldn’t discuss any potential orders in public. This raised serious concerns because it sounded like Hegseth might be willing to go along with anything Trump asks — even something potentially illegal.

This became even more relevant recently when Trump sent thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles to help with immigration raids. These raids sparked protests that turned violent, and Trump responded by threatening to send even more troops. On top of that, he added 700 Marines to the deployment — even though the California governor, Gavin Newsom, didn’t ask for any of this help and has now taken Trump and Hegseth to court over it.

It’s not clear what these troops are actually allowed to do, because under U.S. law, they can’t arrest people unless the president declares a national uprising using the Insurrection Act. Trump has used the word “insurrection” when talking about the protesters, but he hasn’t made that legal declaration yet.

Senator Mazie Hirono said what Trump is doing is dangerous. She accused him of acting like he’s above the law and trying to use military force to make a point or show power. She’s worried that no one is stopping him.

A Pentagon spokesperson blamed Governor Newsom for the chaos, claiming California’s leaders have ignored immigration laws and failed to protect federal agents. They said that’s why Trump and Hegseth had to step in with military force.

Newsom, on the other hand, said Trump is stirring up trouble on purpose. He claimed Trump sent troops even when local officials didn’t need or want them, and that this is creating more violence instead of solving anything.

Back in 2020, during protests following the police killing of George Floyd, Trump reportedly asked his defense secretary at the time, Mark Esper, if the military could shoot protesters — even suggesting shooting them in the legs. Esper refused and later spoke out about it in an interview. That same year, Trump had Lafayette Square cleared of protesters so he could take a photo holding a Bible in front of a church. Esper and the top military officer at the time, General Mark Milley, were there and later apologized, saying the military shouldn’t be involved in political events.

Their resistance angered Trump and led to Esper being fired after Trump lost the 2020 election. Now, with Hegseth in charge — a man who came from Fox News and has been openly loyal to Trump — it seems unlikely he would ever push back in the same way.