KINGSLEY WILSON: Things off the top and then I'll get to your questions.
On August 11th, at the direction of the president, the Secretary directed the D.C. National Guard to mobilize and support the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement partners to address the lawlessness and crime in our nation's capital.
As of today, all 800 Army and Air National Guardsmen mobilized under Title 32 as part of Joint Task Force D.C., and they're now here in our capital.
They will remain until law and order has been restored in the district as determined by the president, standing as the gatekeepers of our great nation's capital. The National Guardsmen on this mission will assist the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement partners with monument security, community safety patrols, protecting federal facilities and officers, traffic control posts and area beautification.
Additionally, the scope of support may be adjusted based on the needs of our partners in coordination with the D.C. National Guard, Interim Commanding General — Army Brigadier General Leland Blanchard.
The National Guard is uniquely qualified for this mission as a community-based force with strong local ties, disciplined training.
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The National Guard is uniquely qualified for this mission as a community-based force with strong local ties, disciplined training and the ability to integrate seamlessly with law enforcement agencies. As I mentioned last week, the National Guard LA's mission was invaluable, helping shrink the thousands of rioters to a meager 20 protesters.
We expect the D.C. National Guard's presence and expertise to have the same effect in our National Capital Region.
A notable early example of the National Guard troops mobilizing for missions within the borders of the US, was in 1794 when nearly 13,000 troops mobilized to enforce the laws of the Union during the Whiskey Rebellion.
Since then, the National Guard has been called upon to support this country's citizens and law enforcement during presidential inaugurations, the expansion of civil rights and several instances of civil unrest, including the New York postal strike in 1970, and more recently the BLM riots in 2020.
And on another note, Americans across the country are enlisting to fight for this nation.
Here at the Department of Defense, we are excited to share that active duty enlisted females have surged across all service branches. Over 7,200 more women have enlisted so far this fiscal year than at this point last fiscal year, surging from 16,700 to nearly 24,000 enlistees so far.
As I have said before, leadership matters and under the strong leadership of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, men and women are coming out in droves to raise their right hand and serve their country.
With that, I'd be happy to take some questions.
Yes, Tara.
Q: Thanks, Kingsley. First of all, because you have a briefing room, why is this outside? Just put that out there. And then secondly, on the women joining, is it your belief and is it the Secretary's belief that those women, if they are serving, and women across the United States should have the right to vote?
KINGSLEY WILSON: On your first question about the location, I thought it would be a lovely day for us to enjoy some sunshine out here. I hope to see you all in the briefing room very soon but thought this would be a nice opportunity for us all to enjoy a D.C. summer day.
On your second question about the 19th Amendment, of course the Secretary thinks that women should have the right to vote. That's a stupid question. To be honest with you, I'm very excited to see the incredible recruitment numbers not just for men and women, but just across every single branch of our military. It's truly a testament to his leadership.
Q: Well, why did he retweet the pastor who does support taking away that right from women?
KINGSLEY WILSON: So, as we have said on-the-record numerous times, the Secretary is a proud member of a church that is affiliated with the Congregation of Reformed Evangelical Churches which was founded by Pastor Doug Wilson. The Secretary very much appreciates many of Mr. Wilson's writings and teachings.
Q: Including taking away the right to vote?
KINGSLEY WILSON: Tara, I've already answered that question, so [inaudible] go ahead.
Q: So, including taking away the right to vote? You have not been clear. I mean, he retweeted her — or him. Why retweet someone that wants to take away the right to vote?
KINGSLEY WILSON: I have been correct on that the Secretary supports the 19th Amendment. Next question.
Q: So, the Secretary is, in disagreement with the pastor?
KINGSLEY WILSON: He appreciates many of his writings and teachings. I'm not going to litigate every single aspect of what he may or may not believe in a certain video. I can tell you that he is a member of a congregation that was founded by Pastor Doug Wilson. He appreciates many of his writings and teachings.
Q: OK, and then a question on the monuments, you mentioned monument security, there's no evidence of crime along the National Mall that's significant in any way. What is the — what do you expect to achieve by putting National Guard presence there, which I think should be noted that that is taking people away from jobs – you know, schoolteachers, IT technicians, people that are needed elsewhere in the community? What is it that you hope to achieve with that?
KINGSLEY WILSON: I think there's no more important job for this department than to stand alongside federal law enforcement partners and local police in securing our nation's capital. As the White House and the president have said, it is disgraceful that we have allowed D.C. to become so incredibly dangerous. And we want this to be —
Q: It's not dangerous near the National Mall, so I mean, I think we should be clear on that. So, what is the point of putting guard troops around the National Mall?
KINGSLEY WILSON: It's dangerous all around the city and I think another important point of —
Q: Is it dangerous near the mall?
KINGSLEY WILSON: I think another important point of having National Guardsmen all around D.C. is that it is also a deterrent and it makes people feel safe. And it lets everyone know that D.C. is going to be a city in which we can be proud of. And we are standing alongside our federal partners to execute on the president's directive here.
Q: Do you believe that the National Mall is dangerous?
KINGSLEY WILSON: The president has been very clear about that. He is very frustrated with the state of D.C., and we are proud to support this initiative.
Yes.
Q: Can you tell us whether the guards will be armed?
KINGSLEY WILSON: Kaylee.
Q: Can you tell us if the guard is going to be armed? And does the Secretary want to pull in guardsmen from other states as part of this mission?
KINGSLEY WILSON: I'm not going to get ahead of any future support that we're going to have for this mission.
So, at this time, military members will not be armed, but of course that is — you know, as conditions change, we have the right to adjust force posture as needed, if necessary. So, we will continue to work with our federal law enforcement partners to do just that.
And your other question, I'm not going to get ahead and forecast different things that we might do in the future.
But what I can say is that we are working alongside our local law enforcement to make sure that everything that is needed is provided from DOD's perspective.
Yes, Jeff.
Q: Thank you, Laura Loomer recently attacked a Medal of Honor recipient — excuse me, a medal of honor recipient. Does Secretary Hegseth stand by this Medal of Honor recipient?
KINGSLEY WILSON: The Secretary is very thankful to every single Medal of Honor recipient and recognizes their heroism.
At the same time, he has also been very open, we have said this on the record, appreciative of a lot of Laura Loomer's outside advocacy. She understands that personnel is policy and we recognize the important work that she's done in supporting this administration.
Q: Well, thank you. I didn't quite hear an answer on my question. Does he stand specifically by this particular Medal of Honor recipient against — and defend him against the attacks by Laura Loomer?
KINGSLEY WILSON: I did answer your question. He stands by every single Medal of Honor recipient. They are all heroes in our eyes and that includes Flo Groberg full stop. We are not going to get into the routine of commenting on every single disagreement that may or may not happen, online, on X. But what I can tell you is that he's very thankful for every single Medal of Honor's heroism.
Q: Does he stand behind Secretary Driscoll as well? She also criticized him and made him sound as if he was not a supporter of the Trump administration. Does the Secretary have full confidence in Secretary Driscoll?
KINGSLEY WILSON: Again, I don't think it serves this department to get in the habit of responding to every single thing that happens online and every single argument that we might see play out in the social media space. But I can tell you he has absolute confidence in Secretary Driscoll, as evidenced by the fact that they were at the White House together at that press briefing on Monday, and he delegated the authority for this D.C. mission to the Secretary of the Army. He has full confidence in his ability to deliver on the president's agenda here.
Q: You're welcome to join us out here in the sun since you said it's such a beautiful day.
KINGSLEY WILSON: I love the sun. I love the sun. I'm Hispanic, so I tan quite well.
[Crosstalk]
Q: Going back to Tara's question. What was the point of posting that video? I know you said that he respects him, but you mentioned that all of these women are joining the recruitment. What does a video like that, that mentions women submitting to their husbands, what does that say to women service members? Or we should be a Christian nation like Saudi Arabia is a Muslim nation.
What does that say to Muslim service members or Jewish service members or people who don't believe? I mean, what message is that sending as the Secretary of Defense reposting something like that? He's not just a person; he's a government official now.
KINGSLEY WILSON: So, I reject the premise of the question. I think what he had said, all of God for all of time — I think that is a non-controversial statement.
Q: Wait, wait, that means that's the tagline for the church, right? So, at my church, we say love God, love each other and live out the gospel life. That's the tagline for their church which essentially means amen. That's what Doug Wilson said. He said he was saying amen. Right?
KINGSLEY WILSON: And again, he is a proud member of a church that is affiliated with the Congregation of Reformed Evangelical Churches which was founded by Pastor Doug Wilson. He is a very proud Christian and has those traditional Christian viewpoints. And I think that there is, you know —
Q: Which one? So, all the ones in the video?
KINGSLEY WILSON: Again, I'm not going to litigate what he may or may not think about real presence in communion. We're not going to get down to the nitty gritty on all of that stuff, right. But what I can tell you is that he is a Christian. He appreciates many of Mr. Wilson's writings and teachings.
Q: Any of them that were in that video? I mean, because there were a lot of them in that video that — you just said he supports women's right to vote. But he put out a video where there are people saying that the amendment could be repealed and that — you're married too. So, your husband would be the one voting for you, not you. I mean, that was in the video, and I don't think it was taken out of context. That's what they were saying.
KINGSLEY WILSON: Again, I've answered this question, he — on the 19th Amendment and he appreciates many of his writings and teachings. And as I've said, I'm not going to litigate every single opinion that is described in that video.
Q: Is the department concerned that these kinds of questions could hurt enlistment particularly with female —
KINGSLEY WILSON: The numbers show that they clearly are not.
Q: Right, but given these concerns, are you concerned that that could start to drop if women are concerned that this department is led by someone who does not support a woman's right to vote?
KINGSLEY WILSON: Well, again, as I answered with Tara's question earlier, that is not an accurate characterization.
Q: OK, so you push back on those concerns.
Q: Will the Secretary himself come out and say he supports women's rights to vote? I think at this point, the women —
KINGSLEY WILSON: I'm here saying it now on his behalf. But to answer your question about recruitment, we do not anticipate that recruitment will drop. Everything we are seeing indicates that it is going to continue to break records and to skyrocket, and that's for men and women across all of the branches. We're very encouraged by that.
Q: Thank you.
Q: Democratic veterans in Congress have said that he should apologize and resign for this. Is he going to do so?
KINGSLEY WILSON: Absolutely not. The Secretary is so proud to be leading our great warfighters every day. He is focused on mission, getting back to basics and he is going to continue to do just that. And especially as we look forward to this D.C. mission, he is going to really execute on the president's agenda and make sure that we make D.C. safe and beautiful again.
Yes, way back there, Jessica.
Q: Hey, Kingsley. Will the Secretary of Defense be joining President Trump in Alaska?
KINGSLEY WILSON: I don't have any updates on travel at this time. We will keep you all posted.
Yes.
Q: Hi, Kingsley. Are you anticipating that the mission in D.C. might be replicated in other cities like New York, Chicago or [inaudible] like that?
KINGSLEY WILSON: Again, I'm not going to get ahead of any —
Q: Speak up.
KINGSLEY WILSON: I'm not going to get ahead of any future operations. But what I will tell you is that the Department of Defense stands ready to ensure that if we are called upon to support in any city or location, whether domestic or across the globe, that we're able to do that at the time and place of our choosing.
Q: A follow up on that. In the Guard's support for local law enforcement in D.C., are they going to be deploying any drones, ISR sensors or other surveillance technologies?
KINGSLEY WILSON: I would refer you to the Army and the National Guard Bureau for that level of information.
Q: They referred me back to you guys.
KINGSLEY WILSON: OK, well, then we will try and get you something. I'll take that question.
Yes.
Q: Thank you.
Q: Is the Secretary considering a political run in Tennessee?
KINGSLEY WILSON: No, he is not. As we have said, those reports are absolutely false. He is laser focused on being a cabinet official for President Trump and on delivering for our warfighters. He is incredibly proud of the work that we have accomplished thus far. We're past the six-month mark now and he will continue to deliver on the president's agenda.
Q: On the security conference today, what kind of security precautions are being taken to ensure that an adversary doesn't inadvertently gain access to sensitive —
KINGSLEY WILSON: I'm going to go right here. Yes.
Q: If this adversary — this question, I'm a surrogate [inaudible] answer that question.
Q: What security precautions are being taken ahead of the summit to ensure that a potential adversary like Russia doesn't gain access to sensitive military systems or equipment?
KINGSLEY WILSON: I would refer you to the White House for that. Thank you.
Q: All right, my question was about helicopters in support of the mission in D.C.. Are there any plans for Army or Air Guard helicopters to be up there? And given this building's failures to de-conflict airspace, what special considerations would you have to make sure that airspace is managed?
KINGSLEY WILSON: I would refer you to the Army and National Guard for specifics on that. But what I can tell you is that we work very, very closely to ensure that airspace is de-conflicted as you say. And we will continue to work with Secretary Duffy to make sure that we're de-conflicting where necessary.
Q: Did I hear you right when you said our number one priority is going to be partnering with local law enforcement? Is that the building's priority [inaudible] the priority? What did you mean by that being [inaudible]? Is that more than a nuclear posture, like [inaudible]
KINGSLEY WILSON: No, what I'm saying Is that the D.C. mission is of incredible importance to the president and we are very proud to be working alongside our federal law enforcement officers to deliver on it. And it is, of course, since it has just happened, starting Monday it's something that we're focusing heavily on and the Army and Secretary Driscoll have done a fantastic job so far standing up those folks.
Q: So, DHS is not properly funded and properly staffed, not properly resourced. Why the shortfall that precipitates the need for the Guard?
KINGSLEY WILSON: What do you mean by DHS?
Q: Their law enforcement agencies are part of this response. So, do you — does the Pentagon feel that their agency is undermanned, under-resourced, maybe could be better managed? Why the need for the extra National Guard?
KINGSLEY WILSON: I don't want to speak for them, but I think that, thanks to the One Big, Beautiful Bill that recently passed, we have funding with our interagency partners to be able to execute on important things like we're doing down at the southern border. So, this is just another aspect of us coming alongside those interagency partners to work together.
And we really think we're going to be a force multiplier, right? We're going to allow law enforcement to better conduct the necessary operations that they need to conduct around the capital and we're going to be there along supporting them.
Q: Hey, is [Background noise]
KINGSLEY WILSON: No, I wouldn't say that. I don't want to get ahead again. This is going to all be conditions based, and we will be working alongside our partners and hearing from them as to what they need. And the Army can also get you a little bit more color on that probably.
Q: If it is conditions based, you mean that means that you expect the National Guard to go to more dangerous places than the monuments, as Anne was pointing out. There's really not a security concern there. So, what kind of places around the city do you actually expect them — specifics of where you expect them to be operating?
KINGSLEY WILSON: I would talk to the Army for specifics on locations that they're going to be posted at. I mentioned a few in my topper. But again, we are going to be doing a lot of different things alongside our partners where the needs are to make sure that we are protecting federal functions, protecting federal personnel, buildings, helping with beautification — all the things I mentioned in my opening statement we're going to be doing.
Q: The Secretary the other night on Fox also said that when he was asked about the potential for Guardsmen to be involved in law enforcement, if there aren't police around or something, he said he's got their back. Does that mean that he is authorizing them to engage in law enforcement missions if in fact the need arises? I'm not talking about self-defense but law enforcement missions as he told Laura Ingraham on Fox the other night?
KINGSLEY WILSON: So, what I can tell you is that military members are to follow D.C. National Guard rules for the use of force. They're all trained in de-escalation techniques and of course always retain the inherent right to self-defense. They will not be arresting people, but they may temporarily limit the movement of an individual who has entered restricted or secured area without permission. So, this will be very similar to the LA mission where we can temporarily detain someone and then turn them over to the proper law enforcement authorities.
Q: You said 800 were here.
Q: Sorry, real quick. Just because the Army said that the guard was going to come out at like 100 to 200 at a time, but you said 800. Can you give us a little explanation?
Q: How many are out today?
Q: How many are out today and —
KINGSLEY WILSON: I would refer you to the army for how many are out today, but I can tell you that all 800 have been mobilized.
Q: Are they all at the armory?
KINGSLEY WILSON: Refer you to the Army for that.
Yes.
Q: The Army's been punting on a lot of questions. Do you have an idea right now per week or per month how much it will cost in O&M dollars to keep the National Guard out there?
KINGSLEY WILSON: I don't have a cost estimate for you yet. We will likely have that when this mission concludes.
That's all the time we have today. Thank you so much.