The defense secretary dodged questions from lawmakers about possible Defense Department plans against the allied territories.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday would not rule out the possibility of a future military invasion of Greenland and Panama, suggesting to lawmakers the Pentagon may have plans for such a future strike.

Appearing before the House Armed Services Committee, Hegseth asserted the department “plans for any particular contingency” and said, “I think the American people would want the Pentagon to have plans for anything.”