After persistent questioning from members of Congress, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth turned to his acting comptroller, Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, who provided the amount it would cost to send the National Guard and Marines to immigration protests in Los Angeles.

In a back and forth exchange with the defense appropriations subcommittee’s top Democrat, Hegseth refused to answer basic questions on the cost of deploying Marines to Los Angeles, instead falling back on political talking points. Related: Protesters return for 4th day as anti-ICE demonstrations continue in LA; Marines deployed to assist

The Pentagon is scrambling to establish rules to guide U.S. Marines who could be faced with the rare and difficult prospect of using force against citizens on American soil, now that the Trump administration is deploying active duty troops to the