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.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth didn’t rule out using military force to take Greenland and Panama, implying to lawmakers on Thursday that the Defense Department has plans prepared if such an order is given.