Pete Hegseth Eviscerates Democrat Rep. McCollum in Fiery Exchange Over Trump’s Response to LA Riots
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth didn’t hold back Tuesday when Democrat Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) tried to weaponize a budget hearing to attack President Trump’s crackdown on the chaos engulfing Los Angeles.
Testifying before the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, Hegseth — flanked by Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine and acting Pentagon Comptroller Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell — came prepared to talk national defense funding. But when McCollum attempted to twist the hearing into a political ambush, Hegseth delivered a cold dose of reality.
“We’re both from Minnesota,” McCollum began, before claiming that the 2020 George Floyd riots were handled just fine without federal intervention. She contrasted those events with the Trump Administration’s swift and aggressive response to the current riots in Los Angeles.
But Hegseth wasn’t having it.
“Congresswoman, you’re right. We are both originally from Minnesota,” Hegseth began. “Which is why I recall 2020 quite well — when Governor Walz abandoned a police precinct and let it burn to the ground. He allowed five days of lawlessness before the Guard was even mobilized.”
His reminder of the devastation Minneapolis endured under Democrat leadership struck a nerve — and exposed the flawed logic behind McCollum’s argument.
Hegseth then doubled down, drawing a direct line between the failure of liberal governors like Walz and the need for the Trump Administration to take action in Los Angeles:
“We’re not going to risk another five-day free-for-all. That’s why President Trump authorized ICE and military support where necessary. The federal government has a duty to protect citizens — even when blue states refuse to do it themselves.”
When McCollum protested that her original question was about the Pentagon’s 2026 budget, Hegseth didn’t flinch:
“With all due respect, Congresswoman, you brought up Los Angeles. I simply answered the question you asked — whether you liked the answer or not.”
The fiery exchange has since gone viral, with conservatives praising Hegseth for calling out Democrat hypocrisy and defending Trump’s decisive leadership.
