Marines Deployed for Protests to Leave Los Angeles
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 'has directed the redeployment' of around 700 Marines from Los Angeles, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said.
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Washington Post
2 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Hegseth team lashes out at Pentagon's internal ‘Signalgate' review
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's team on Tuesday denounced the Pentagon's internal review of his actions in the 'Signalgate' affair, calling the independent inquiry 'clearly a political witch hunt' and asserting without evidence that details of the nonpartisan review were leaked to the news media by 'Biden administration holdovers.'
NBC News
30 minutes ago
- NBC News
Pete Hegseth has discussed running for political office in Tennessee, sources say
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has privately discussed the idea of running for political office next year in Tennessee, according to two people who have spoken directly with him about it. If Hegseth were to follow through on those discussions, it would amount to a major leadership shake-up at the department that oversees the American military and millions of federal employees. The Defense Department bars civilian employees from running for political office, meaning Hegseth would have to resign to do so. In a statement, Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, said, 'Hegseth's focus remains solely on serving under President Trump.' One of the people said their discussion with Hegseth happened within the past three weeks and that it was serious, not simply spitballing ideas. The other person, who also characterized it as serious, would not say when they had spoken — except that it was since Hegseth became defense secretary in January. The two sources, along with others in this article, were granted anonymity to speak candidly. The discussions centered around what it would take to run. One person said they discussed the eligibility requirements to run for governor of Tennessee and Hegseth's chances of winning. The other person said they talked with Hegseth about the realities of a campaign. The people who have spoken with Hegseth said he has specifically mentioned a possible gubernatorial campaign in Tennessee, where Hegseth lives. The state has an open race for governor next year, though there are eligibility requirements for candidates that Hegseth might not meet. Ultimately, both sources said it was unclear after their conversations with Hegseth whether he would take the leap. But they both said he has contemplated it. 'Fake news NBC is so desperate for attention, they are shopping around a made up story… again. Only two options exist: either the 'sources' are imaginary or these reporters are getting punked. Secretary Hegseth's focus remains solely on serving under President Trump and advancing the America First mission at the Department of Defense,' Parnell said in the statement. Others in Hegseth's orbit said he doesn't plan to launch a campaign. One person who spoke with the secretary last week asked him about speculation that he was looking for an off-ramp from being defense secretary, such as running for political office in Tennessee. This person said Hegseth was 'very, very clear' that he was not going to run and denied even considering it. The idea, this person said, is 'totally off the table.' And when asked, a longtime Trump adviser familiar with political discussions around Hegseth said he will not run for office in Tennessee. Hegseth has campaigned for political office before. A former Army National Guard officer and Fox News host, he ran for the U.S. Senate in his home state of Minnesota in 2012 and withdrew after failing to win the GOP nomination. Minnesota also has an open Senate seat in 2026. Hegseth's political considerations come after a somewhat rocky first six months as defense secretary. During his confirmation process, allegations surfaced around his treatment of his second wife, financial mismanagement, sexual misconduct and alcohol consumption — all of which Hegseth vehemently denied. Since his confirmation, Hegseth has faced controversy over the abrupt firings of his top staff, accusations of chaos at the Pentagon and questions about his handling of sensitive military plans after he shared information about a military operation in Yemen on an unsecured group chat on Signal. A Pentagon inspector general report on the Signal chat, including the classification of the information Hegseth shared, could be released as early as next month. Hegseth also suspended aid to Ukraine three times, but those decisions were reversed by the White House, NBC News reported. Trump has said publicly that he maintains confidence in Hegseth, although privately he has at times expressed frustrations with him, NBC News has reported. Politico recently reported that Trump and his inner circle stand by Hegseth. The New York Times also reported on Saturday that Hegseth continues to clash with the military's top generals over his personnel and promotion choices and what are seen as partisan priorities. If Hegseth were to declare his candidacy for office, Trump has several replacement options, at least temporarily. These include Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, a close friend of Vice President JD Vance's, or the Pentagon's policy chief, Elbridge Colby, according to four people familiar with the matter. Both were confirmed by the Senate for their current jobs and could serve as acting secretary of defense for a period of time without another confirmation hearing. Hegseth could face eligibility requirements if he wants to run for office in Tennessee. Tennessee law says gubernatorial candidates must have lived in the state for seven years prior to the election. Hegseth moved to the state around three years ago; public records show that Hegseth's name is linked to a suburban Nashville address last sold in the middle of 2022. Tennessee Republican Party bylaws also have a series of requirements for Republican primary candidates, including having voted in three of the last four most recent statewide Republican primary elections in which the candidate is eligible to vote. There have been statewide Republican primaries in Tennessee in 2022 and 2024. Those bylaws have blocked other candidates from seeking office in the past, including in 2022, when the state GOP removed Trump-backed Morgan Ortagus, a former State Department spokeswoman, from the congressional primary ballot after she had recently moved to the state. Hegseth would likely face challenges from within his own party if he decided to run for governor. Republican Rep. John Rose is running and has loaned himself $5 million to bolster his campaign. Sen. Marsha Blackburn also has long considered a campaign for governor. Tennessee's senior U.S. senator, Blackburn has served in public office for more than 25 years and holds considerable sway among the state's GOP. A source familiar with Blackburn's plans said she intends to announce her next steps in August. If Blackburn does decide to run, and wins, she'd have to vacate her Senate seat in 2027 and appoint a successor until a special election. That could provide another political option for Hegseth in his home state. Tennessee requires candidates for the Senate to have lived in the state for at least three years. Scott Golden, chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party, said he has not spoken with Trump about a potential Hegseth run. 'Nobody has called to talk about this as a reality,' Golden said, adding, 'I don't know where it's coming from, and maybe it will be real.' Golden said the last time he spoke with Hegseth was on election night last year. He was last at the White House in April, he said, for a tour. 'Right now, it's just not something that we're even thinking about,' Golden said. Another Republican operative in Tennessee was skeptical that Hegseth's running for office was well developed or far along, saying they hadn't heard anything about it. Blackburn is close with Glenn Jacobs, the Republican mayor of Knox County and a former professional wrestler, and she would potentially appoint him to her Senate seat, according to a person familiar with the situation. This person said Blackburn hasn't had any conversations with Hegseth about an appointment. A person close to Blackburn said it was premature to discuss who she would choose as her successor. 'There has never been a conversation of anyone being appointed,' this person said, adding that Blackburn has also not spoken with anyone, including Hegseth, about him potentially running for office in Tennessee. 'I know they talk,' the person said, 'but never about this.'
The Hill
31 minutes ago
- The Hill
DOJ says UCLA violated civil rights law with ‘indifference' towards protecting Jewish and Israeli students
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Tuesday the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) violated civil rights laws by acting with 'indifference' towards attacks on Israeli and Jewish students. In a press release, the DOJ said that its Civil Rights Division on Tuesday 'announced that the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by acting with deliberate indifference in creating a hostile educational environment for Jewish and Israeli students.' 'Our investigation into the University of California system has found concerning evidence of systemic anti-Semitism at UCLA that demands severe accountability from the institution,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in the release. 'This disgusting breach of civil rights against students will not stand: DOJ will force UCLA to pay a heavy price for putting Jewish Americans at risk and continue our ongoing investigations into other campuses in the UC system,' she added. The Hill has reached out to UCLA and the UC system for comment. UCLA recently agreed to pay over $6 million in a consent agreement in the wake of Jewish faculty and students bringing an antisemitism lawsuit against the university due to its handling of pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations. Last year, pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses erupted across the U.S. over Israel's war in Gaza. Protestors faced accusations of antisemitism amid an already heated political climate on the issue of Israel and Palestine as the war in Gaza raged on. The leading international authority on food crisis said Tuesday via an alert that the worst-case scenario of famine was occurring in the Gaza Strip, with death and destruction of infrastructure also widespread in the territory.
