President Donald Trump is strongly defending Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after a serious report said Hegseth approved a second deadly strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean to kill survivors. Trump said he is “100%” sure Hegseth did not approve the follow-up attack.
The controversy started after a Washington Post report said Hegseth told forces to attack the boats and make sure everyone on board was killed. The report claims this order led to a suspected second strike on September 2, which targeted the damaged boat to kill two people who survived the first attack.
According to Live Mint, when Trump was asked if a follow-up strike to kill injured survivors was legal, he reacted strongly. “No, I wouldn’t have wanted that, not a second strike,” he said. He added that “The first strike was very lethal” and said he trusts his Defense Secretary, stating, “I’m going to find out about it, but Pete said he did not order the death of those two men.”
Even Republicans are worried about this alleged double-tap strike
The alleged “double-tap” strike is creating rare criticism even among Republicans. Ohio Representative Mike Turner said Sunday that if the action is confirmed, it would be an “illegal act.” Nebraska’s Don Bacon said that such an act would be a “clear violation of the law of war.”
Republican-controlled armed services committees in both the Senate and House have announced they will carry out “vigorous oversight” of the alleged strike. Senator Roger Wicker, who leads the Senate Armed Services Committee, confirmed the committee will investigate the matter. This comes as Hegseth recently announced a major narco-terrorist mission that raised some eyebrows.
The naval operations have been done under questionable legal authority, and the actions have worried US allies. The administration says the targeted boats are valid targets because they are carrying large amounts of drugs.
Trump dismissed concerns about legal objections to the naval operations. He said he had no worries because “you can see the boats. You can see the drugs in the boats, and each boat is responsible for killing 25,000 Americans.” He believes this justifies the military approach, saying, “So I think they do an amazing job.”
The administration is standing firm on targeting these drug boats, but the specific claim of intentionally killing survivors is driving the intense legal and political controversy right now. Meanwhile, the Defense Secretary has been busy with other matters, including suggesting changes to South Korea’s defense responsibilities.
Published: Dec 1, 2025 11:00 am