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.

A House subcommittee grilled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over Marines and National Guard being sent to Los Angeles.

The troop deployment triggered several fiery exchanges that at times devolved into shouting matches as committee members and Hegseth yelled over one another.