King Grills Defense Nominee on National Guard in Cities, Boat Strikes

February 26, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C.–U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today grilled potential Trump Administration officials on the legality and ethics of national guard deployments in American cities, as well as the controversial boat strikes in the Caribbean. In a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Senator King questioned Mr. Mark R. Ditlevson, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas Security Affairs, on the role of the Department of Defense, legal ramifications of DoD decision making, and his personal priorities if nominated to the post.
Senator King began the conversation by asking about the classification authority of the strikes in the Caribbean, focusing on the September 2ndmissile strike.
“Have you seen the second video from September 2?”King questioned.
Ditlevson responded, “Yes Senator, I have. I am aware of that particular video.”
“What possible justification is there for the classification of that video where the first video 45 minutes earlier was on Fox News the next day along with the secretary? Why is the second video classified?”King asked in response.“I have seen it and I don't understand why the American public is being denied the opportunity to see it. What is the justification for its classification?”
Ditlevsonreplied,“Senator, I appreciate the concern on the video and what it shows. I can't speak to the release ability –“
“How come? You’re where the policy guy,”King interjected.“What is the policy that says this should be classified bit of information?”
“Senator, that’d be outside the purview of my particular office. We were not the classification authority for that particular video and the process and procedures governing declassification—”Ditlevson responded.
King concluded,“I appreciate it if you take this question back. Because I have not, I have asked the secretary directly and not yet gotten a justification for why that video is classified. Except that it is embarrassing.”
Senator King then asked the nominee about the limits of the Department of Defense, stressing the National Guard should not be a local law enforcement organization.
King shared,“I have got to tell you in your list of priorities: “focused on securing our homeland by bolstering security at our borders,” no objection, no problem. “Dismantling narco-terrorist networks,” no objection, 100%. “Deterring adversary threats,” no problem. But your final one is “restoring law and order in our cities.” That is not the role of the Department of Defense. We have state police, we have local police. It is not the role of the military to restore order in our cities. What concerns me is if indeed it’s the President that designates a designated terrorist organization, what are the limits of that and what is to keep this president or a different president from saying some group they don't like inside the country is a designated terrorist organization, and therefore could apply military forces. I hope you will come back to me with the answers to my questions.”
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator King is recognized as an authoritative voice on national security and foreign policy issues. He has been outspoken in his concerns over the boat strikes,going on national TVto stress that such attacks are defined by the Pentagon’s manual of war as illegal. In ahearinglast September, Senator King also pressed the nominee to serve as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict in the Department of Defense (DoD), about his views on the legality of the recent unprecedented lethal strikes on vessels in the Caribbean ordered by the Trump Administration.
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