Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) attempted to use some of her time during a Wednesday hearing to get Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to answer a question based on the assumption that President Donald Trump would give troops an unlawful order.

Hegseth, who was on Capitol Hill for another round of contentious hearings, made it abundantly clear that he was not going to allow Hirono to dictate the framing of his response.

WATCH:

Secretary Hegseth smacks down Senator Hirono’s INSANE line of questioning:

. @SecDef Senator, as I have said before, I reject the premise of your question. The characterization that I would be given or are given unlawful orders, it’s all meant to SMEAR the commander in chief,… pic.twitter.com/p8LAlpiAGv

— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) June 18, 2025

Hirono framed her question against the backdrop of the violence and riots over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Los Angeles — which had resulted in President Donald Trump deploying first California National Guard troops and then U.S. Marines to the city to protect federal property and personnel. She asked Hegseth whether he or others would carry out an order from Trump to “shoot peaceful protesters in the legs.”

“Would you carry out such an order?” she asked.

“Senator, as I have said before, of course, I reject the premise of your question,” Hegseth shot back. “And the characterization that I would be given or am given unlawful orders, it’s all meant to smear the Commander in Chief, and I won’t fall for it.”

Hirono’s question echoed some of the claims made by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) when she joined protesters in the streets of Los Angeles and taunted the ICE agents who’d been sent to enforce federal immigration law. After wildly claiming that the agents probably had orders to shoot people, she shouted at the agents, “Why do you have guns? What are you going to do, you going to shoot some kid who’s afraid of you and runs? You going to shoot an elected official? If you shoot me, you better shoot straight.”