Trump Defends Defense Secretary Amid Strike Controversy
President Donald Trump has publicly defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth against allegations that he authorized a controversial second military strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean. The incident occurred on September 2 and has sparked significant political and legal scrutiny.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump expressed complete confidence in his defense secretary. "He said he did not say that, and I believe him 100%," the President stated, directly addressing the allegations.
The Controversial Strike Details
According to a Washington Post report that has drawn increasing attention to the Pentagon's actions, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly instructed military forces to carry out a deadly strike on boats with explicit instructions to ensure everyone on board was killed. The report claims this order led to a second strike targeting the damaged hull of a boat to eliminate two individuals who had survived the initial attack.
President Trump addressed these specific allegations, telling Bloomberg, "I'm going to find out about it, but Pete said he did not order the death of those two men." When questioned about the legality of such a follow-up strike, the President responded unequivocally: "No, I wouldn't have wanted that, not a second strike. The first strike was very lethal."
Legal Concerns and Political Fallout
The naval operations have raised serious legal questions among experts who argue they were conducted under questionable legal authority. These operations have reportedly caused growing concern among US allies. The administration maintains that the vessels represent valid military targets because they were allegedly transporting drugs.
President Trump dismissed legal objections to the operations, stating, "because you can see the boats. You can see the drugs in the boats, and each boat is responsible for killing 25,000 Americans. So I think they do an amazing job."
The Republican-controlled armed services committees in both the Senate and House have announced plans to conduct "vigorous oversight" of the alleged double-tap strike. CNN reported that the incident has raised concerns that the United States might have violated laws governing armed conflict.
The report of a second strike intended to kill injured survivors has prompted unusual criticism from Republican lawmakers. Ohio Representative Mike Turner told CBS that if verified, the action would constitute an "illegal act," while Nebraska's Don Bacon told ABC it would represent a "clear violation of the law of war."
Senator Roger Wicker, who leads the Senate Armed Services Committee, has confirmed that the committee will investigate the strikes following the damaging report.
