Overview
- At the White House, President Trump denied saying he would release the full video and said the decision rests with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, then berated ABC News reporter Rachel Scott who pressed him.
- Hegseth said any release is under review to protect sources and methods, while reiterating support for the operation; some Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton, said they would not oppose public release.
- The White House has confirmed a second Sept. 2 strike that killed the two remaining survivors of an initial attack on an alleged drug-smuggling boat, part of roughly 22 strikes that have killed about 86–87 people.
- House and Senate negotiators inserted a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act to require the Pentagon to give armed services committees unedited strike video, with a potential 25% cut to Hegseth’s travel budget for noncompliance.
- Lawmakers who viewed classified footage offered sharply different accounts of the survivors’ threat level, and legal experts say killing shipwrecked individuals could violate the laws of armed conflict.