LOS ANGELES − Two people have been charged with throwing firebombs during five days of protests that have rocked a downtown section of the city and prompted President Trump' controversial decision to send 4,

Pete Hegseth was met with bipartisan criticism Wednesday during the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee hearing.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is being ridiculed by social media users after failing to cite the provision of the Constitution which provides a Presidential administration with the authority to deploy active duty Marines to state neighborhoods.

Hegseth has deployed thousands of troops to Los Angeles in recent days to suppress protests against the Trump administration's deportations. He has faced criticism from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats who have said the troops are adding fuel to the fire and are not being put to good use.

The Pentagon chief stumbled when pressed on the legal underpinning for the deployment of 700 Marines to California.

One of Hegseth's top deputies testified Tuesday that the estimated cost of deploying the National Guard to Los Angeles will be $134 million.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday night that Marines at Camp Pendleton, about 100 miles south of Los Angeles, were on high alert.

The Pentagon has deployed 700 active-duty Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to California in response to riots in Los Angeles over immigration raids.