President Donald Trump on Monday firmly defended the U.S. military’s decision to fire a second missile during the now-highly scrutinized operation in the Caribbean Sea, pointing out that the two suspected drug smugglers who survived the initial strike were actively trying to right their capsized vessel. And yes — the vessel was loaded with drugs. But of course, some people in Washington still manage to act shocked.
Trump also adjusted his stance on releasing the footage of that second strike. Last week, he said he saw “no problem” with making the video public, but on Monday he made it clear he would leave that call to War Secretary Pete Hegseth. Apparently, trusting military leadership is still a foreign concept to some lawmakers.
Democrats are predictably demanding the release of the unedited video of the September 2 operation — an operation that killed nine people in the initial strike and two more in the follow-up. And in classic Washington fashion, they’re even threatening to withhold a quarter of Hegseth’s travel budget if the Pentagon doesn’t hand it over. Because nothing says “serious national security oversight” like holding someone’s travel money hostage.
“They were trying to return the boat back to where it could float, and we didn’t want to see that because that boat was loaded up with drugs,” Trump said Monday. Hard to argue with that — unless you’re a Democrat on a Sunday talk show, of course.
When pressed on his previous comments about releasing the footage, Trump simply said: “Whatever Pete Hegseth wants to do is OK with me.” Just last Wednesday he told reporters, “Whatever they have we’d certainly release.” In other words, he’s being consistent — the media just has trouble keeping up.
This strike was the first in a months-long campaign targeting cartel-linked smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, including groups tied to Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. At least 87 people have been killed in 22 known strikes as the administration pushes to stop the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the U.S. Trump has described the situation plainly: America is in armed conflict with narco-terrorists. And honestly, someone had to finally say it.
Hegseth said Saturday that officials were reviewing the video but emphasized they must be “very responsible” about anything they release. A refreshing contrast to those who treat classified footage like it’s a Netflix trailer.
On Capitol Hill, the demands continue. Meanwhile, Sen. Tom Cotton — who actually viewed the footage and leads the Senate Intelligence Committee — said he’s fine with releasing it. According to him, the video is “not gruesome,” looking like “any number of dozens of strikes we’ve seen on jeeps and pickup trucks in the Middle East over the years.” In other words: calm down, everybody.
Democrats, however, gave their usual dramatic performance. Rep. Jim Himes called the footage “profoundly shaking.” Rep. Adam Smith claimed the two survivors didn’t seem able to continue fighting. Both saw the same video Cotton did — but apparently with a different pair of glasses.
Questions also surrounded Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley’s order for the second strike. While some suggested Hegseth gave a “kill them all” command, Bradley made it clear no such order was issued. Even so, some lawmakers remain uneasy after watching the full sequence of attacks.
Some legal experts argue the second strike could violate laws of warfare, while others point out that under the administration’s framework — treating the mission as part of an armed campaign against narco-terrorists — the survivors still counted as lawful military targets. They could have called reinforcements, recovered contraband, or re-engaged. In short, they weren’t harmless shipwreck victims; they were active participants in a criminal operation.
At the end of the day, the mission remains what it always was: a necessary effort to protect Americans from the deadly drug networks flooding our borders. And despite all the noise coming from Capitol Hill, it’s clear the administration is focused on one thing — keeping the country safe.
A strong stance, clear action, and unwavering resolve — that’s something worth ending on a positive note.
