Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly backed Navy Adm. Frank Bradley on Monday, doubling down on support for the commander after a report claimed Hegseth ordered the military to “kill everybody” during a strike operation, according to The Hill. This is a massive controversy, especially since the September 2 operation in the Caribbean Sea involved a second strike that killed two survivors of an initial attack on an alleged drug-trafficking boat.
Hegseth didn’t mince words when he took to the social platform X to defend the admiral. He stated that Bradley is absolutely supported by the Defense Department and is considered an American hero.
“Lets make one thing crystal clear: Admiral Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support,” Hegseth wrote. He made it clear that he stands by Bradley’s combat decisions, both for the September 2 mission and everything that followed. Hegseth concluded his message by saying, “America is fortunate to have such men protecting us. When this @DeptofWar says we have the back of our warriors — we mean it.”
Hegseth is not backing down from his claims just yet
The controversy exploded after The Washington Post reported that the Defense Secretary had directed military officials to “kill everybody” on board when ordering the operation. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Hegseth authorized the second strike, which Bradley then ordered.
Leavitt defended the military’s actions, telling reporters that Bradley was operating well within his authority and the law to make sure the boat was destroyed. She stressed that the primary goal was to eliminate the threat to the United States.
President Trump also weighed in on the issue, specifically denying that Hegseth ordered the death of the two survivors. “The first strike was very lethal, it was fine, and if there were two people around. But [Hegseth] said that didn’t happen,” President Trump stated. “I have great confidence in him.”
This specific strike was only the beginning of a series of operations the administration has carried out against vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The Trump administration has stated that the strikes killed 11 “narco-terrorists.” While they haven’t provided public evidence for that designation, the administration claims that the subsequent operations have killed more than 80 people total. That’s a huge number of fatalities, and it shows the intensity of these anti-trafficking efforts.
It seems the military leadership is standing firmly behind Bradley, too. Bradley was head of Joint Special Operations Command at the time of the strikes, but he received a major promotion in October. He was elevated to lead the U.S. Special Operations Command, which definitely signals institutional support despite the controversy.
Meanwhile, Congress is getting involved. Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), who is the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, confirmed Monday that he has been in touch with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) regarding the incident. The bipartisan effort aims to demand answers for the deadly strikes.
Published: Dec 2, 2025 05:30 pm