'Dude, just answer the question': Fuming senator calls out Hegseth for gaslighting

Pete Hegseth left yet another senator frustrated by dancing around tough questions, this time regarding how the military will be used if the 2026 presidential election ends unfavorably for Trump.

"Dude, dude, just answer the question," Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) said as she pressed Hegseth during a hearing on Thursday. "It's not a hypothetical. Tell the American people, will you deploy the uniformed military to our polls to collect voter rolls or machines?"

Slotkin was referring to statements made by Trump during the State of the Union.

"The president has been clear. He says if his side does not win, then the election was rigged," Slotkin said. "We know that in 2020, he wrote an executive order that he did not sign that said the U.S. military, the Secretary of Defense, should go and seize ballots and voting machines."

Slotkin asked Hegseth if he'll "stand up for the constitution" if Trump loses in 2026, "or will you salute and do his bidding?"

Hegseth started talking about Joe Biden and accused Slotkin of asking "another gotcha hypothetical."

"Just address the election issue, please," Slotkin said, frustrated. "It's not a hypothetical. You give that answer all the time. You and I have done this dance before. Get over it."