Tensions ran high on Capitol Hill Thursday as Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) issued a blistering condemnation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, denouncing him as “an embarrassment” and urging his immediate resignation during a House Armed Services Committee budget session.
The confrontation focused on multiple controversies surrounding Hegseth’s leadership, particularly his use of the encrypted messaging app Signal to circulate details of upcoming U.S. airstrikes against Houthi militants in March. According to testimony and committee records, Hegseth allegedly shared strike timing through group chats that included his wife, brother, legal adviser, and a media executive.
Carbajal charged that this conduct breached security protocols and put American lives at risk. “You violated basic standards of operational security by transmitting sensitive military details through unauthorized personal channels,” he said. “That makes you unfit to lead this department.”
Hegseth acknowledged that he used his private phone to access the chats but maintained that no classified material was transmitted. Nonetheless, lawmakers expressed alarm that a sitting Defense Secretary would bypass formal systems for such communications.
The exchange grew more confrontational when Hegseth refused to directly state whether the United States should continue backing Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, offering instead that “we support peace in Ukraine.” The response triggered a sharp rebuke from Carbajal.
“That’s not leadership. That’s evasion,” he shot back. “You’re an embarrassment to this country.”
The confrontation followed closely on the heels of a Senate hearing one day earlier, where Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine were pressed on the administration’s foreign policy direction. While Gen. Caine warned that a Russian victory in Ukraine could embolden further aggression, Hegseth offered minimal clarity on the Defense Department’s position.
The hearing also touched on Hegseth’s decision to deploy Marines to Los Angeles during civil unrest—an action critics say was politically motivated—and his perceived unwillingness to challenge executive power under President Trump.
When asked whether loyalty to the president is becoming a requirement for service in the U.S. military or government, Hegseth declined to respond. That prompted Carbajal to end his questioning in frustration.
“You’re not worthy of my time or this committee’s attention,” he said. “There’s bipartisan concern about your actions. You should just get the hell out and let someone capable lead this department.”
Committee Chair Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) intervened to restore order, reminding members to maintain decorum, but the damage was already done. The moment underscored deep and growing divisions in Congress over defense policy, executive oversight, and national security leadership.
As of Friday, the Department of Defense had not issued an official response to the exchange.
