JANUARY 27, 2025 – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived today for his first full day leading the Pentagon, vowing to support President Trump’s priorities to seal the U.S. border with Mexico, use military planes to deport undocumented migrants and increase the military’s combat readiness.
Here are his remarks: Morning, everybody. How we doing? It’s an honor to be here. It’s an honor to serve on behalf of the president and serve on behalf of the country. It’s an amazing job, beyond what anyone can fathom.
But in talking to the chairman and so many other folks here, we’re in capable hands. The warfighters are ready to go. If you see what the president said last week in his executive orders, he’s hitting the ground running. He’s made it very clear there’s an emergency at the — at the southern border, that the sovereign — the protection of the sovereign territory of the United States is the job of the Defense Department, and the cartels are foreign terrorist organizations.
As a result, this Pentagon snapped to last week. We helped move forward troops, put in more barriers, and also to ensure mass deportations — support of mass deportations in support of the president’s objective. That is something the Defense Department absolutely will continue to do.
And today, there are more executive orders coming that we fully support, on removing DEI inside the Pentagon, reinstating troops who were pushed out because of COVID mandates, the Iron Dome for America. This is happening quickly. And as the secretary of defense, it’s an honor to salute smartly, as I did as a junior officer and now as the secretary of defense, to ensure these orders are complied with rapidly and quickly.
Every moment that I’m here, I’m thinking about the guys and gals in Guam, in Germany, in Fort Benning and Fort Bragg, on missile defense sites and aircraft carriers. Our job is lethality and readiness and warfighting.
We’re going to hold people accountable. I know the chairman agrees with that. The lawful orders of the president of the United States will be executed inside this Defense Department swiftly and without excuse. We will be no better friend to our allies and no stronger adversary to those who want to test us and try us.
So, Mr. Chairman, thanks for welcoming me today.
GENERAL CHARLES Q BROWN: My pleasure.
SECRETARY HEGSETH: I look forward to serving the troops, the warriors of this department. It’s the honor of a lifetime, and we’re going to get to work. God bless you all.
Q: [Off mic] wristband? Who’s that?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: This right here is Jorge Oliveira. He was killed in Afghanistan on — he was — asked about what I wear on my wrist every single day. It was a troop I served with, a soldier I served with in Guantanamo Bay when I was a platoon leader. He was killed in Afghanistan, not in my unit but when I was there. It’s these guys that we do this for, those that have given the ultimate sacrifice.
Q: Secretary, should we expect additional troops to be sent to the border soon?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Whatever is needed at the border will be provided, whether that is through state active duty, Title 32 or Title 10, because we are — we are reorienting. This is a shift. This is not the way business has been done in the past.
This is — the Defense Department will support the defense of the territorial integrity of the United States of America at the southern border to include reservists, National Guard, and active duty in compliance with the Constitution, with the laws of our land, and the directives of the commander in chief.
Q: [Off mic] looking at the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, yes?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Those will be decisions made by the White House. I look forward to conversations about anything we need to do to ensure we’re securing our southern border.
Q: Mr. Secretary, how are you going to change military training?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: I’m sorry?
Q: Are you going to change military training?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Military training will be focused on the readiness of what our troops in the field need to deter our enemies. More rapid fielding, more rapid opportunity to train as we fight will be something we want our units to do across the spectrum.
One more.
Q: [Off mic] exceptions —
Q: [Off mic] Joint Chiefs of Staff and other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: I’m standing with them right now. Look forward to working with them. Thank you.
Q: [Off mic] an exception to the executive order for some transgender troops that?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: There’ll be an executive order on that right now, today.
Q: [Off mic] for Afghans who served?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Hey, we’re gonna — we’re gonna make sure there’s accountability for what happened in Afghanistan and that we stand by our allies. Thank you.