Hegseth gives medal to guard who reprimanded him at Arlington national cemetery – US politics live | US news
Hegseth gives medal to guard who reprimanded him at Arlington Cemetery
Pete Hegseth has issued a commendation to a US army sentinel who gave him and his entourage a reprimand yesterday, when the defense secretary visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to mark Veterans Day.
On X, Hegseth posted pictures of him pinning a medal on to the guard’s uniform, and wrote:
We love soldiers.
We love standards.
Well done, Specialist.
Carry on Patriots.
The sentinel, who was not named, shouted at the secretary and those accompanying him when someone laughed during their visit to the tomb. Here’s more about the incident, which was captured by a TV camera:
Key events
Marina Dunbar
Here’s a bit more on the story of Pete Hegseth awarding a medal to the soldier who reprimanded him and his aides for breaking the silence around the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington cemetery on Veterans Day.
A Pentagon official confirmed to CNN that Hegseth hosted members of the 3rd infantry regiment, known as the Old Guard, at the Pentagon “where he proudly awarded Specialist Iglesias the Joint Service Commendation Medal for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the unknown Soldier on November 11, 2026”.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell addressed the incident in a statement: “The secretary and the entire department have always honored – and will always honor – the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep America safe.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington national cemetery is one of the most sacred war memorials in the country, marking the final resting place of an unknown soldier who was killed in the first world war.
Soldiers from the Old Guard have maintained a round-the-clock watch over the tomb since 1948. Part of their responsibility includes enforcing strict standards of silence and respect, and correcting visitors whose behavior disrupts the solemn atmosphere.
The Joint Service Commendation Medal is awarded to members of the US armed forces who distinguish themselves by “meritorious achievement or service while serving in any specified activity”, according to the air force’s personnel center.
When will the Alaska Senate race be called?
With Mississippi Democrat Scott Colom’s election confirmed yesterday, there is just one Senate race outstanding: Mary Peltola’s bid to oust Alaska’s incumbent Republican senator, Dan Sullivan.
Alaska typically takes a long time to count its ballots, due to the complicated logistics of elections in a massive state that’s home to many communities inaccessible by road. Thus far, things are looking good for Peltola: she is in the lead over Sullivan, with 86% of ballots counted, according to the Associated Press.
We may know the final result in the next few days. According to Alaska’s division of elections, tomorrow is the deadline for them to receive absentee ballots mailed in the US, while next Wednesday is the date they have targeted to receive overseas absentee ballots. On that day, they also plan to review races to see if any candidates have not reached 50%, and, if not, run ranked-choice tabulation.
Should Peltola win, Democrats will have won 56 seats in the US Senate, their largest majority since the 111th Congress that began in 2009 and ended at the start of 2011.
Speaking of things Democrats want to investigate, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Starlink, the satellite internet service his armed forces rely on to counter Russian drones, is once again unusably slow.
“We have detected speed restrictions on Starshield on our Ukrainian territory – in the temporarily occupied parts of Ukraine. The speed limit is back at 161 kilometers per hour – that’s 100 miles per hour,” Zelenskyy wrote on X earlier today.
“This directly affects our ability to intercept Russian jet-powered ‘shahed’ drones. These drones come from those areas, and because of the speed restrictions, we simply cannot catch up with them in time.”
Starlink is a project of Elon Musk, who Democrats will undoubtedly haul before Congress next year over an array of matters, including his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency initiative that made widespread cuts to federal staffing and funding. Expect the Starlink throttling to come up at some point as well.
Here’s the latest on the conflict in Ukraine:
Top Senate Democrat Schumer calls for investigation into Nvidia scandal
The Senate’s Democratic minority leader, Chuck Schumer, has called for an investigation both into former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s ties to an alleged Chinese spy, and the Trump administration’s handling of the matter.
The White House reportedly knew about Huang’s involvement with a woman said to be linked to Chinese intelligence, but still let him accompany Donald Trump on an official visit to China. Here’s what Schumer – who may be the Senate majority leader in about two months – had to say about all that:
Despite Jensen Huang’s resignation, Congress must demand answers from Mr. Huang and others at Nvidia about how they may have put U.S. national security at risk.
The Trump administration must also answer for what it did once it learned about Mr. Huang’s relationship with a suspected Chinese intelligence asset. Were government officials told not to investigate because of Trump’s relationship with Mr. Huang? What did Trump know when he personally invited Mr. Huang aboard Air Force One?
Americans deserve to know that those at the highest levels of power are putting America first, not their bottom line or their personal friendships.
Hegseth gives medal to guard who reprimanded him at Arlington Cemetery
Pete Hegseth has issued a commendation to a US army sentinel who gave him and his entourage a reprimand yesterday, when the defense secretary visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to mark Veterans Day.
On X, Hegseth posted pictures of him pinning a medal on to the guard’s uniform, and wrote:
We love soldiers.
We love standards.
Well done, Specialist.
Carry on Patriots.
The sentinel, who was not named, shouted at the secretary and those accompanying him when someone laughed during their visit to the tomb. Here’s more about the incident, which was captured by a TV camera:
As the Democratic House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries is in line to become speaker when his party takes the majority in the chamber next year.
But it won’t be without controversy. Democrats have faced calls from activists and constituents to find another candidate, and a Change.org petition (started by someone who gets paid for such efforts) has received more than 1.15m signatures.
Asked about these tensions at his press conference, Jeffries issued a lengthy recap of his accomplishments while leading the party in the House during their soon-to-conclude period in the minority. He ended with:
The record speaks for itself. But that doesn’t mean it’s not important to talk to every single member of the House Democratic Caucus family about what the future looks like and how we can build upon this record where everyone doubted our ability to aggressively fight back and continue to bring about the type of bold, dramatic, and decisive change that the American people deserve.
Which is a pretty good sign that Jeffries has no intention of going anywhere next year but the speaker’s office.
For what it’s worth, Donald Trump thinks Apple CEO Tim Cook should take over as head of Nvidia.
“NOW THAT Nvidia CEO JENSEN HUANG, who has done a fantastic job, has resigned, there is only one man to take his place – TIM COOK of Apple. A Legend replaces a Legend!” the president wrote on Truth Social.
Top House Democrat calls for classified briefing on Nvidia scandal
The Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries just said lawmakers should receive a classified briefing on the scandal surrounding chipmaker Nvidia.
The company is seen as among America’s most important, because it makes advanced chips that are powering the AI boom. Recently, it was revealed that its CEO, Jensen Huang, had an affair with a woman alleged to be a Chinese spy, leading to his resignation today.
“We need a classified briefing made available to members of Congress as it relates to the Nvidia situation and to the extent that our national security has been compromised,” Jeffries said at his ongoing press conference. “The American people deserve answers, and we’re going to work to make sure that happens.”
Here’s more about Huang’s resignation:
The Democratic House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, began his press conference today with a few words about the mass shooting in Washington DC.
“Our prayers and our thoughts certainly go out to anyone who has been victimized or hurt by this tragedy, all of the family members and loved ones,” said Jeffries, who is set to become speaker next year, when Democrats take the majority in the House.
“Our thanks go out to the Capitol Police, as well as of course the Metropolitan DC Police Department, and all of our law enforcement professionals [who] continue to work incredibly hard to keep the American people safe, and we’re grateful for their service, encourage their bravery, and their work.”
Here’s the latest on the shooting in the Logan Circle neighborhood:
Perhaps you saw this ad from Scott Colom, who was just elected to serve as Mississippi’s first Democratic senator since 1989:
The New York Times spoke to Russ Hudson, the man who is grilling in the first part of the ad and uttered the “sheeeit” that has now become an emblem of Colom’s successful campaign. Here’s what he had to say, from the Times:
The lines, he said, felt natural. He left thinking maybe a couple thousand people would see it.
“I just did it like a Mississippian would,” Mr. Hudson said in an interview.
Now, Mr. Hudson, an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, has found himself as the unlikely face of one of the most potent campaign advertisements of the 2026 midterm cycle. The ad, released in the final weeks of the election season, became a defining feature of Mr. Colom’s campaign and his surge to a stunning upset.
“I never expected it to do what it did,” Mr. Hudson said.
He even downloaded TikTok to keep up with all the commentary his friends were sending him about the ad. Someone made him a “pick another protein” shirt with his face on it, along with the other two women in the ad.
And he keeps fielding requests to, well, say it again.
“They make me throw my head back with it, too,” he said.
There’s also much more to know about the downfall of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who is close to Donald Trump.
We have another live blog covering the fallout from his resignation, and you can read it here:
We now have a separate live blog covering the latest on the shooting in Washington DC’s Logan Circle neighborhood.
You can follow it here:
At least five shot by active shooter in Washington DC
An active shooter has reportedly barricaded himself after shooting at least five people in Washington DC near Logan Circle. Local police have put a notice out for a “white male, heavy built” wearing gray clothes. There is a shelter in place order for those in the immediate vicinity.
One local independent news outlet reported that the suspect has shot at police through the barricades.
Follow the Guardian’s reporting for more details.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigns following spy scandal
According to a company statement:
Jensen Huang has resigned as President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board, effective immediately.
Huang is in the middle of a major geopolitical and corporate governance scandal after he admitted to extramarital affairs with an alleged Chinese intelligence asset.
The company added that current executive vice president and chief financial officer Collette Kress has agreed to serve as the interim CEO.
Follow the Guardian’s coverage.
Continuing his Truth Social ranting, Donald Trump said he has asked the vice-president, JD Vance, to turn his “complete and total attention” to alleged corruption in Democratic-run cities and states, while also declaring that the US no longer needs a deal with Iran.
In the latest post this morning, Trump singled out Minnesota, California and Illinois as “poorly run, corrupt disasters” and claimed that “billions of dollars is being stolen each and every month”. He argued that the federal budget “could be quickly BALANCED” if what he called large-scale criminal activity were stopped, and said corruption was “in the Democrat Leadership’s blood”.
On Iran, Trump wrote:
CORRUPTION is in the Democrat Leadership’s blood! We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed. We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait!
He wasn’t done and followed up with another pile on posts minutes later:
If the Democrats want to “root out corruption,” they should start with investigating Blue States, perhaps the most CORRUPT governmental structures and entities anywhere on Earth. Big time money is being stolen each and every hour of the day!
In a further post on Truth Social, Trump renewed his criticism of Senate Republicans, warning that the party cannot afford to let legislation stall in Congress after suffering significant losses in the midterm elections.
He urged Republican senators to take a more aggressive approach to advancing his legislative agenda, arguing that the Senate must no longer be a place “where things are sent to die”.
He singled out the failure to pass the Save America Act, which would introduce stricter voter identification requirements and require proof of US citizenship when registering to vote. He described its failure to pass as “devastating” for Republicans in the midterms.
Concluding his post, Trump wrote:
Anyway, good luck to our Republican Senators, work hard, and congratulations to John Thune for another year of leadership, Minority though it may be!”
Trump threatens to double tariffs on Mexico unless it stops migrant caravans heading to US
Trump has threatened to immediately double tariffs on Mexico unless the country stops migrant caravans travelling north towards the US.
The president issued the warning on Truth Social this morning, linking the renewed movement of people through Mexico to what he described as the Republicans’ “perceived loss” in the midterm elections.
He wrote:
Huge CARAVANS are forming and beginning their illegal march through Mexico. Many of the people in these Caravans are those that various countries don’t want – “Send them to America,” they say – But they will not be accepted! MEXICO MUST STOP THEM, NOW, and if they do not do so, the Tariffs on Mexico will be IMMEDIATELY DOUBLED. MEXICO, THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, THE VERY LIBERAL NEW GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, OUR GREAT BORDER PATROL, & ICE, HAVE BEEN SO INFORMED. There will be no leniency!
The threat came as approximately 1,500 people, many travelling with children, began walking north from Tapachula in southern Mexico on Tuesday following the Democrats’ midterm victory, according to Reuters.
Trump attacks Democrats over ‘blue state corruption’ in Truth Social tirade
Donald Trump has been busy posting his latest commentary on Truth Social this morning, publishing a series of posts in which he takes aim at Democrats, revisits old grievances and accuses his political opponents of corruption.
In one post, the US president launched an attack on the Democratic party, describing its leadership as “one of the most corrupt and anti-American” in the country’s history. Coming just days after the Republicans suffered significant losses in the midterm elections, Trump’s latest broadside against Democrats appears to be an attempt to rally his party, as he urges Republicans to “fight hard”.
He wrote:
The Democrat Party, lead by one of the most Corrupt and anti-American groups of political leaders and hacks in the history of our Country, and even the World, is doing everything in their power to get away from MASSIVE BLUE STATE CORRUPTION by saying, over and over again, that the Trump Administration is corrupt. It is a sound bite that they viciously use, over and over again, in order to nullify the TREMENDOUS & UNPRECEDENTED theft that has taken place in our Blue States – Minnesota, California, and others, all over the U.S.A.
In a subsequent post, Trump returned to the controversy surrounding his personal tax returns during his first presidential term. He recalled what he described as a “relentless effort” by Democrats to obtain his tax records, claiming that, after the matter reached the Supreme Court, accountants spent a year examining his finances in an effort to find wrongdoing.
Unlike previous presidents in recent decades, Trump refused to voluntarily release his returns while campaigning for the White House and throughout his first term. After a lengthy legal battle, six years of Trump’s tax returns, covering 2015 to 2020, were subsequently made public by the House ways and means committee. You can read more on that here.
On Truth Social, Trump wrote:
Now, in order to deflect from MASSIVE BLUE STATE CORRUPTION & CRIME, they are at it again, illegally threatening Republicans with knowingly false accusations and charges. Other than cheating, this is how they won the Midterms – But we won’t let our Country go to hell!
Colom makes history with Democratic Senate victory in Mississippi
Hello, and welcome to the US politics live blog.
Mississippi has elected Scott Colom, a Democrat, as its senator, adding to a wave of Democratic gains across the country in this year’s midterm elections.
He defeated incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith in the closely contested Senate race to become the state’s first black senator since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, marking a historic moment for Mississippi and a major breakthrough for the Democrats in a traditionally Republican state.
“All I did was have the courage to imagine a night like this,” Colom said in his victory speech last night.
“I had the courage to believe in Mississippi. I had the courage to understand that we can show the country that Mississippi matters.”
Just over a week since the midterm elections, the Associated Press called the race after absentee and provisional ballots were counted.
“While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters,” Hyde-Smith said.
You can read more about Colom’s grassroots campaign, his viral advertising strategy and how he reached voters at Trump rallies despite limited early backing from national Democrats here:
In other news:
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US defence secretary Pete Hegseth was admonished by a military guard after he and his entourage were seen laughing and talking near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where visitors are required to remain silent. The incident came days after Republicans blocked an attempt to impeach him.
