Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to acknowledge that the Pentagon has developed plans to take over Greenland and Panama by force if necessary but refused to answer repeated questions at a hotly combative congressional hearing Thursday about his use of Signal chats to discuss military operations.

A congressman wanted clarification from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on whether the U.S. has plans to conquer Greenland and Panama, to which Hegseth responded, “I think the American people would