Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told leaders he is still weighing whether to release the full Sept. 2 strike video, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling the briefing “very unsatisfying.”
- House and Senate negotiators inserted language into the annual defense bill to withhold a quarter of Hegseth’s travel budget unless unedited videos and authorizing orders are provided to Congress.
- Adm. Alvin Holsey, retiring early from U.S. Southern Command, briefed Armed Services leaders as lawmakers also seek execution orders, rules of engagement and any legal opinions guiding the campaign.
- Officials say 22 strikes since September have killed at least 87 people, including four on Dec. 4; Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley told lawmakers he ordered the follow‑on Sept. 2 strike to prevent cartel recovery of cocaine, while legal experts say the action may have violated the laws governing use of force.
- President Donald Trump initially signaled no objection to releasing the video before deferring to Hegseth, and members who viewed the footage described it in starkly different terms, underscoring bipartisan calls for transparency.