Overview
- Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan reported roughly 10,000 U.S. personnel in the Caribbean, three B-52 flights near Venezuela last week, and six maritime strikes by U.S. Special Operations Forces.
- Kelly said briefers struggled to cite a clear constitutional basis for the operations and declined to share a secret list of more than 20 narco organizations referenced in the presentation.
- He urged against pursuing regime change in Venezuela and argued drug‑interdiction tasks belong to the Coast Guard rather than a broader military escalation.
- Addressing military leadership concerns, Kelly said officers must refuse unlawful orders and noted unanswered questions about Admiral Alvin Holsey’s departure, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has described as a retirement.
- On Ukraine and domestic policy, Kelly said Trump pulled back on long‑range Tomahawk‑style missiles for Kyiv after speaking with Vladimir Putin and pressed for ending the shutdown before Affordable Care Act premiums rise on November 1.