Today's News: Congressional Scrutiny and Administration Defense of “Double-Tap” Military Strike
Both Hegseth and Trump denied personal knowledge of the second strike, with Hegseth citing “the fog of war” for his lack of immediate awareness.
Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times
Overview
Date: December 2, 2025
Summary: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump are facing bipartisan scrutiny over a September 2, 2025, military strike in the Caribbean, where a second attack reportedly killed survivors clinging to a suspected drug boat. Both Hegseth and Trump denied personal knowledge of the second strike, with Hegseth citing “the fog of war” for his lack of immediate awareness. They defended Adm. Frank M. Bradley, the commander, while lawmakers questioned the legality of the action, with some raising concerns about potential war crimes and the administration’s broader campaign of striking drug vessels. Critics accuse the administration of attempting to scapegoat Admiral Bradley, while the administration maintains that the overall operations are necessary to combat drug trafficking.
Sources
The New York Times - Hegseth Says He Did Not See Survivors of Boat Attack Clinging to Wreckage
CNN - GOP senator: Hegseth is either lying about second boat strike or incompetent
The Washington Post - Hegseth, citing ‘fog of war,’ says he learned of survivors hours after strike
The Wall Street Journal - Hegseth’s Decadeslong Quest to Rewrite the Rules of Engagement
Fox News - GOP fractures over Hegseth’s ‘double-tap’ Caribbean strike as Congress probes legality
Key Points
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated he did not personally see survivors of the September 2 boat strike due to “the fog of war” and did not witness the second strike, learning of it hours later.
President Donald Trump also denied prior knowledge of the second strike, stating he was not involved and had not been fully briefed on the circumstances.
Both Hegseth and Trump defended Adm. Frank M. Bradley, the commander of the operation, asserting he made the correct decision and had their support.
Lawmakers from both Republican and Democratic parties are demanding answers and have launched inquiries into the legality of the second strike, with some suggesting it could constitute a war crime.
There are concerns among lawmakers that Hegseth and Trump are attempting to shift blame for the second strike onto Admiral Bradley.
The administration’s broader campaign of striking suspected drug boats in the Caribbean is being defended as necessary to counter drug traffickers, with President Trump indicating plans to extend strikes to land targets.
Congressional committees, including the Senate Armed Services Committee, are requesting video and audio recordings of the strikes as part of their investigation.
Unique Highlights
The New York Times reports that President Trump initially said, “I wouldn’t have wanted that. Not a second strike,” when asked about the second strike on survivors.
CNN (Trump and Hegseth insist…) mentions Hegseth initially derided reports of a follow-up strike as “fake” before the administration acknowledged it. Sen. Jack Reed expressed suspicion that the administration is consciously trying to cover up what took place by not sharing the tape. Sen. Mark Kelly called Hegseth “unqualified” and accused him of “sucking up to this president.”
CNN (GOP senator: Hegseth is either lying…) details Republican Sen. Rand Paul’s accusation that Hegseth is either lying or incompetent, referencing a Friday X post where Hegseth dismissed news reports as “fabricated.” Senator Paul also shared that a Coast Guard letter indicated 21% of boarded boats do not contain drugs. Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno expressed strong support for “killing drug dealers” and “narco-terrorists.”
NBC News states White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Hegseth authorized Adm. Frank Bradley to order the strikes. The article also notes that President Trump confirmed a phone call with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro regarding potential diplomatic off-ramps.
The Washington Post reports that Hegseth said “a couple of hours” passed before he was made aware of the survivors. The article claims Hegseth gave a spoken order before the first missile strike to kill the entire crew, and Admiral Bradley directed the second strike to comply with this order. It also notes that military officials, in planning subsequent missions, have put greater emphasis on rescuing survivors, though it is unclear who directed this change.
The Wall Street Journal provides extensive background on Hegseth’s ideology, detailing his “maximum lethality, not tepid legality” philosophy and his history of defending troops accused of violating laws of armed conflict, including his role in pardoning Clint Lorance, Mathew Golsteyn, and Eddie Gallagher. The article mentions Hegseth’s rebranding of the Defense Department to the Department of War and his firing of top Judge Advocates General in February, calling them “roadblocks.” It also states that a senior administration official said the U.S. struck the boat twice in the initial attack, and twice more in the second.
Fox News highlights the “fracture” among Senate Republicans, with some like Sen. Bernie Moreno strongly supporting the strikes, while others like Sen. John Kennedy disputed The Washington Post’s report on Hegseth’s order, calling it “rage bait” and dismissing the White House press secretary’s confirmation.
Contrasting Details
Hegseth’s initial dismissal of news reports about a follow-up strike as “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting” on X (CNN) contrasts with the administration’s later acknowledgment that a second strike occurred (CNN, NBC News, The Washington Post).
Hegseth and Trump claimed they were unaware of the second strike, and Hegseth cited the “fog of war” for not seeing survivors (The New York Times, CNN, NBC News, The Washington Post). This contrasts with The Washington Post’s reporting that Hegseth gave a spoken order before the first missile strike to kill the entire crew, implying a clear directive for no survivors, and that Admiral Bradley directed the second strike to comply with this order.
The White House press secretary confirmed Hegseth “authorized” Adm. Frank Bradley to order the strikes (NBC News, Fox News), yet Sen. John Kennedy (Republican) stated he did not “care what the White House press secretary said” when pressed on this confirmation and continued to dispute The Washington Post’s reporting (Fox News).
The Wall Street Journal notes Hegseth did not explain why the U.S. made no effort to spare the two survivors in the September attack, but rescued and repatriated two survivors from Ecuador and Colombia following a strike a month later, indicating a differing approach to survivors in subsequent operations.
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