Overview
- At the Reagan National Defense Forum, Pete Hegseth said he fully supports the Sept. 2 re-attack that killed survivors and stated he would have made the same call as Adm. Frank Bradley.
- Hegseth would not commit to releasing unedited footage of the operation, saying the Pentagon is reviewing it for sources and methods despite President Trump signaling openness to a public release.
- Lawmakers were briefed by Adm. Bradley and Gen. Dan Caine, with Bradley saying he received no unlawful “kill them all” directive; sources familiar with the video told CBS the survivors were waving before the second strike.
- Pentagon figures say there have been about 22 strikes on alleged drug-running vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September, resulting in roughly 86–87 deaths.
- Democratic lawmakers escalated calls for Hegseth’s resignation and raised potential war-crime concerns, as an inspector general report separately found he violated policy by using Signal for sensitive operational details earlier this year.