Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Tuesday strongly defended the Trump administration’s military response to protests in Los Angeles, his first appearance in a series of congressional hearings over the next week that are likely to be a major test of his leadership following what has widely been viewed as a rocky first few months on the job.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was quickly met with sharp questions and criticism Tuesday by lawmakers who pressed him about his early moves to deploy troops to Los Angeles, fire key military