In a high-profile House Armed Services Committee hearing today, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over what she called “months of dangerous dysfunction and incompetence” at the Department of Defense.

Just five months into Hegseth’s tenure, Sherrill laid out a searing case against his operational, managerial, and budgetary failures that are undermining national security and putting our service members at risk. And Hegseth failed to substantively answer any of Rep. Sherrill’s questions.

Click here to listen to Sherrill’s full remarks.

Full remarks, as delivered:

Rep. Sherrill:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Hegseth, Chairman Caine, thank you both for being here today. Mr. Secretary. Your testimony over the last several days before Congress, I've heard you speak about all of your supposed accomplishments from your time at the Pentagon. I have to say, your training at Fox News has let you spin months of dangerous dysfunction and incompetence into catchy phrases like restoring the warrior ethos and increasing lethality.

But the truth is, it's really been chaos at the Pentagon under your leadership. You've clearly shown you're unable to manage the Department of Defense. But what I'm most concerned about are three specific areas: Your operational incompetence, your managerial incompetence, and your budgetary incompetence. So let's start with operational. According to news reports, in your first week on the job, you got confused in a National Security Council meeting and thought President Trump wanted you to stop all aid to Ukraine.

In a well-functioning administration, you would have asked for clarification before making that seismic policy shift, but instead you ordered vital military aid heading to the frontlines turned around, costing the U.S. millions of dollars and depriving Ukrainian soldiers of equipment they needed to fight Russia. So, Mr. Secretary, can you explain how exactly you misunderstood such a monumental presidential order?

Secretary Hegseth:

One of many fake news headlines we've dealt with.

Rep. Sherrill:

So President Trump told you to halt military aid to Ukraine on January 30th.

Secretary Hegseth:

As is often the case, highly ideological and very ill informed reporters love to speculate about things they know nothing about, in order to spear President Trump and myself.

Rep. Sherrill:

So it sounds like actually the reporting is correct, because I will say if it wasn't, why if it wasn't a mistake, why did aid restart only a few days later?

Secretary Hegseth

Again, we would take complete issue with what would some call reporting and others call a hatchet job.

Rep. Sherrill:

So why did aid start just a couple days later?

Secretary Hegseth:

I'm saying the reporting is inaccurate, ma'am.

Rep. Sherrill:

I don't think that's correct. So let's move on to your managerial incompetence. I think we can see why you misunderstood the president because you're obviously misunderstanding my questions. Less than a month into the job, you fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, CQ Brown, and the Chief of Naval Operations, Lisa Franchetti, without cause. And to this day, you still have not provided an adequate explanation for removing them.

As far as I can tell, you fired CQ Brown because he was Black and Lisa Franchetti because she is a woman. So nearly four months later, we still don't have a new nominee for Chief of Naval Operations. News reports, and you can contest it, but I'd love to hear your answer, say that you haven't nominated someone because qualified admirals keep turning the position down.

So tell me, Mr. Secretary, when will Congress receive your nomination for the next Chief of Naval Operations?

Secretary Hegseth:

Ma'am, with all due respect, I would suggest not believing every headline you read.

Rep. Sherrill:

With all due respect, I'd like your nomination. When will we see it?

Secretary Hegseth:

There is not a single admiral or any military official has turned down a position that's been–

Rep. Sherrill:

So when will we see your nominee for the Chief of Naval Operations?

Secretary Hegseth:

In due time, for all the right reasons.

Rep. Sherrill:

Again, I think we've seen the managerial incompetence. Okay, let's move on to budgetary incompetence. You missed the deadline to submit a draft defense budget to Congress, which makes it impossible for us to complete our work on the NDAA or appropriations. It makes it more likely you'll receive delays in funding you need for new acquisitions programs, and other priorities.

Additionally, you're blowing money on poorly conceived operations and vanity projects. For President Trump, retrofitting the Qatari jet to serve as Air Force One will cost about $400 million. The parade in DC this weekend will cost upwards of $40 million. Your bombing campaign in Yemen cost about 1 billion, and a week later they were having missile strikes in Israel.

Your operations in LA will cost tens of millions of dollars, and you claim to be cutting costs at the Pentagon. But all I see are wasted dollars better spent addressing our most pressing threats like China. So, Mr. Secretary, what priorities have you cut funding for to pay for these projects?

Secretary Hegseth:

Ma'am, I would just say your list, left off securing the southern border.

Rep. Sherrill:

So, Mr. Secretary, what priorities have you cut funding for to pay for these projects?

Secretary Hegseth:

We make trade offs every day, and I would imagine what we want to spend on is quite different than what the previous administration did. Changes quickly and they're reflected in this budget. And we're very proud of them.

Rep. Sherrill : I think the American people can see why I'm so concerned about this incompetence. Thank you. And I yield back.