Trump Distances Himself From Reported 2nd Boat Strike, Says He “Wouldn’t Have Wanted That”
President Trump said Sunday that he “wouldn’t have wanted” a reported second U.S. strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat near Venezuela, as bipartisan concern grows over how the operation was conducted earlier this year.
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The comments came after a Washington Post report alleged that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth verbally ordered U.S. forces to fire a second missile at two survivors who were clinging to the wreckage of a destroyed vessel on Sept. 2. The men were suspected of drug trafficking, but their status after the initial strike remains unclear. Hegseth has denied giving such an order, calling the story “fabricated” and “inflammatory.”
Trump defended Hegseth on Sunday, saying he believed the secretary’s denial, but added that he personally “wouldn’t have wanted that” if a second strike indeed happened. Trump said he plans to “look into it” and determine what occurred during the operation.
The incident has triggered rare bipartisan pushback in Congress, with both Republicans and Democrats calling for investigations and demanding access to classified materials related to U.S. maritime strikes in the Caribbean. Lawmakers say that if the reported second strike targeted survivors who were no longer a threat, it could raise legal and ethical red flags — including potential violations of international law.
The Pentagon has defended its broader campaign against suspected drug-trafficking vessels, but has not fully addressed whether a second strike occurred during the Sept. 2 operation.
The controversy comes as U.S. officials face increasing scrutiny over the rules of engagement governing strikes on suspected drug boats, and whether the missions have expanded beyond traditional counter-narcotics operations. With Trump acknowledging that he would not have supported a follow-up strike, pressure is likely to intensify for a formal congressional review.