The White House has come under fire for its account of who gave the order to launch a second strike against an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea. According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, President Donald Trump ordered "everyone be killed" aboard the boat during the initial operation, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly gave the verbal order for the second strike.
However, Trump has since contradicted this account, stating that he would not have wanted a second strike to kill survivors and is adamant that Hegseth denied ordering it. Trump's comments came on Air Force One on Sunday, as he was asked about reports that the U.S. military killed two survivors of an earlier strike on the boat.
The controversy surrounds allegations that Hegseth gave the verbal order for the second strike ahead of the September 2 operation to kill everybody aboard the suspected drug boat. According to The Washington Post, after an initial strike left two survivors clinging to the boat, Adm. Mitch Bradley ordered a second strike in compliance with Hegseth's alleged order.
The White House has maintained that the operation was lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict and approved by top military lawyers. However, lawmakers from both parties have expressed outrage over the report, calling for an investigation into the incident and demanding transparency.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has demanded that Hegseth release the "full, unedited tapes of the strikes" so the American people can see for themselves, while Sen. Roger Wicker stated that he is going to investigate the incident "to determine the facts." Democratic Reps. Sara Jacobs and Seth Moulton have also spoken out against the alleged war crime, with Moulton calling it "blatantly illegal."
As the controversy continues to unfold, several lawmakers are now demanding that the White House provide more information about the operation, including details on Hegseth's orders and the decision-making process behind the strikes. The situation highlights the growing tensions between the Trump administration and Congress over military actions in the Caribbean Sea.
However, Trump has since contradicted this account, stating that he would not have wanted a second strike to kill survivors and is adamant that Hegseth denied ordering it. Trump's comments came on Air Force One on Sunday, as he was asked about reports that the U.S. military killed two survivors of an earlier strike on the boat.
The controversy surrounds allegations that Hegseth gave the verbal order for the second strike ahead of the September 2 operation to kill everybody aboard the suspected drug boat. According to The Washington Post, after an initial strike left two survivors clinging to the boat, Adm. Mitch Bradley ordered a second strike in compliance with Hegseth's alleged order.
The White House has maintained that the operation was lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict and approved by top military lawyers. However, lawmakers from both parties have expressed outrage over the report, calling for an investigation into the incident and demanding transparency.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has demanded that Hegseth release the "full, unedited tapes of the strikes" so the American people can see for themselves, while Sen. Roger Wicker stated that he is going to investigate the incident "to determine the facts." Democratic Reps. Sara Jacobs and Seth Moulton have also spoken out against the alleged war crime, with Moulton calling it "blatantly illegal."
As the controversy continues to unfold, several lawmakers are now demanding that the White House provide more information about the operation, including details on Hegseth's orders and the decision-making process behind the strikes. The situation highlights the growing tensions between the Trump administration and Congress over military actions in the Caribbean Sea.
This whole story smells fishy to me... I mean, who tells two different versions of what went down? And now we're talking about releasing "full, unedited tapes" - like that's a thing? 
I need some solid sources on this one before I can even get on board. The White House is saying it was all done by the book, but both parties are calling for an investigation... seems like they're not buying it either. 
What really happened out there in the Caribbean? And who's really pulling the strings on this one? 
and now we got lawmakers all fired up, demanding more info like they're investigating a murder or something 
it's crazy. i mean, i get why they're upset - two people died in that strike - but can't we just have one straight answer from the white house? 
i can feel how upset and worried lawmakers are about this whole thing, it's like they're trying to figure out what really happened on that boat and who's responsible for all those lives lost 
the fact that there are even tapes of the strikes, it's just... wow 
the more i think about it, the more i feel like we need some answers from the White House ASAP 
This whole thing is just messed up 
. I don't think it's too much to ask for transparency in this kind of situation, especially when there are allegations of war crimes involved 
. We need to know what happened and why the White House is trying to cover it up 
.
. It sounds like there was a lot of room for miscommunication or maybe even a misunderstanding... but at the same time, it feels like someone might have gotten caught up in the heat of the moment and made a decision without thinking it through 
Either way, it's clear that something went wrong here and we need to know what happened 
...