Headline Roundup • June 13th, 2025
Hegseth: Pentagon Plans for ‘Any Particular Contingency’ With Greenland, Panama
Defense And Security,Defense Department,Department Of Defense,Pete Hegseth,Greenland,Panama,US Territories
Summary from the AllSides News Team
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth avoided directly answering questions on Thursday regarding potential plans to invade Greenland and – less prominently – Panama, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing.
Hegseth’s Comments: Prompted by Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), Hegseth said, “Our job at the Defense Department is to have plans for any particular contingency.” Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) asked, in a self-proclaimed effort to prevent people from twisting Hegseth’s words, “It is not your testimony today that there are plans at the Pentagon for taking by force or invading Greenland, correct? I sure as hell hope that is not your testimony.” Hegseth remarked, “All my testimony is that the Pentagon has plans for any number of contingencies,” and “We look forward to working with Greenland to ensure it’s secured from any potential threats.”
For Context: President Donald Trump has expressed interest in acquiring Greenland for the US, citing national security concerns and the region’s wealth in critical minerals. His comments have been met with strong opposition from Greenland and Denmark, the territory's sovereign state.
How The Media Covered It: Media outlets across the political spectrum sensationalized the story by emphasizing the implication that the Pentagon has existing invasion plans for Greenland. Hegseth’s comments were covered similarly, though Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) included more direct quotes from the hearing than USA Today (Lean Left) or Forbes (Center). Forbes highlighted that Hegseth "dodged questions from a Republican."
Revised by the AllSides staff (of humans) after a first draft from our custom AI. Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dodged questions from a Republican congressman Thursday about whether the U.S. has military plans for taking over Greenland, as President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants the Danish territory to become part of the U.S.
Hegseth refused to answer directly when asked twice by Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, during an Armed Services Committee hearing if the Pentagon has any plans for "invading or taking by force Greenland."
"The Pentagon has plans for any number...
REUTERS
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon has plans for multiple "contingencies" in Greenland – including an invasion of the island.
Asked by Republican Rep. Mike Turner at a June 12 House Armed Services Committee hearing to confirm whether there are plans to invade Greenland, Hegseth said, "The Pentagon has plans for any number of contingencies."
"It is not your testimony today that there are plans at the Pentagon for taking by force or invading Greenland, correct? Because I sure as hell hope that it is not your testimony," Turner dug in...
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth didn’t rule out using military force to take Greenland and Panama, implying to lawmakers on Thursday that the Defense Department has plans prepared if such an order is given.
“Our job at the [Department of Defense] is to have plans, and we have a lot of them,” Hegseth told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee when pressed by the committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA).
“Our job at the defense department is to have plans for any particular contingency. Any contingency you need, we’ve got it,” Hegseth added...
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