Pentagon Chief Suggests National Guard Could Go to Other States If Riots Spread

Federal government ‘would have the capability to surge National Guard’ if riots spread outside of Los Angeles, he says.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense on Capitol Hill on June 11, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on June 11 that National Guard troop deployments could extend to other states beyond California, amid riots in Los Angeles against immigration enforcement.

Speaking to a Senate panel, Hegseth said that if riots occur in other places, the federal government may send troops there.