Congressional Democrats in the United States continue to ask questions about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s behavior, following allegations that he ordered the killing of survivors of a strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat in September. They are increasingly being joined by Republicans, however.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said on Dec. 2 that he would “be very surprised” if Navy Adm. Frank Bradley had ordered a second strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean “on his own.”
“This incident that was just covered by the Washington Post in recent days suggests that a war crime may have been committed, and I think Secretary Hegseth likely gave the order. I know Admiral Bradley. He’s the SOCOM [United States Special Operations Command] commander,” Coons told CNN’s John Berman on “CNN News Central,” reported The Hill. “He came up through the ranks. He is decorated, he’s experienced, he’s seasoned. He was one of the first Americans into Afghanistan after 9/11. I’d be very surprised if he did this on his own, without direct support or a command from the secretary,” Coons added.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), a former Air Force JAG officer, is demanding an investigation. “Killing shipwrecked survivors is a war crime,” he told reporters in the Capitol. “The Department of Justice must conduct an investigation into the war crime and hold all of those accountable—including Secretary Hegseth. He allegedly said, ‘Kill them all.’” Lieu continued: “If the Trump administration does not hold the people accountable, I guarantee you a future administration will do so. Because there is no statute of limitations for war crimes.”
The Hill notes that the operation appears to contradict the Defense Department’s own laws of war manual, which specifies—under the heading of “Clearly Illegal Orders To Commit Law of War Violations"—that “orders to fire upon the shipwrecked would be clearly illegal.”
But Republicans, too, are becoming increasingly nervous about Hegseth. “These are serious charges, and that’s the reason we’re going to have special oversight,” said Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“Somebody made a horrible decision. Somebody needs to be held accountable,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, who in January held out support for Hegseth until only moments before casting a crucial vote for his confirmation, reported AP.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), a retired Air Force brigadier general, said he hasn’t been a fan of Hegseth’s leadership. “I don’t think he was up to the task,” Bacon said.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who has never been afraid to challenge his own party when it comes to matters of war and peace, called Hegseth a liar on Dec. 2.
“Secretary Hegseth said he had no knowledge of this and it did not happen. It was fake news. It didn’t happen,” Paul was quoted as saying, reported The Hill. “And then the next day, from the podium of the White House, they’re saying it did happen. …
“So, either he was lying to us on Sunday, or he’s incompetent and didn’t know it had happened,” he said.
“Do we think there’s any chance that, on Sunday, the secretary of the Defense did not know there had been a second strike?” Paul asked reporters.
“So as a country, are we just going to let people lie to us to our face? Are we going to let them kill people who they call enemies anytime in the world? Are we going to let them, like when someone is stranded and holding on to the scraps of a boat, put a second bomb on them?” he continued.
“I think it’s outrageous and should be universally condemned,” Rand Paul asserted.
