The Army Secretary is viewed as a close ally to Vice President JD Vance, having attended Yale Law School with him, and resisted Hegseth's pressure to fire Butler for months because of his ongoing contributions to the transformation of the Army, Griffin wrote, reporting how Butler was actually on a list to be promoted, not fired: Butler served as the head of public affairs for the Joint Chiefs when Gen. Mark Milley was chairman, and was slated to receive his first star.
So again, yeah, this is all a bunch of bullshit, and the reason why, I think, is because this is just about sending a message to retired service members, active-duty service members, government employees: do not speak out against this president, or there will be consequences, replied Kelly, adding: So it's a lot bigger than just dealing with me, and that's why they don't handle this professionally, like you would expect.
This all started in September, when Secretary Hegseth ordered the military to strike a boat to strike a boat that he said was carrying drugs to the United States. Ever since, he's been ordering more and more and more strikes, proudly announcing at least 20 strikes that have killed more than 80 people at sea. We could stop there and have plenty to talk about, but the picture has gotten a lot worse.
Republicans - who control the Senate and the House - joined Democrats in seeking answers from the Defense Department after The Washington Post reported last week that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had given a verbal order before the strike to kill all of the boat's crew members. But as of Friday evening, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Mike D. Rogers (R-Alabama), his counterpart inthe House, have yet to signal how they will proceed.
The Navy admiral who reportedly issued orders for the U.S. military to fire upon survivors of an attack on an alleged drug boat is expected Thursday on Capitol Hill to provide a classified briefing to top congressional lawmakers overseeing national security. The information from Adm. Frank "Mitch" Bradley, who is now the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, comes at a potentially crucial moment in the unfolding congressional investigation into how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth handled the military operation in international waters near Venezuela.
Who would you trust to babysit your kids? This can only be another member of the cabinet. I mean, not your husband or Marco [Rubio], replied Hegseth as everyone laughed. I would trust the vice president. I mean, I've known Sean Duffy for years. I would trust him. I would trust Brooke Rollins or Pam [Bondi]. Tulsi [Gabbard]'s incredible. Asked, Who's most likely to call you after hours in an emergency? Hegseth answered, Uh, Stephen Miller.
Will wrote in a Washington Post op-ed on Tuesday that Hegseth has seemingly turned himself into a war criminal based on strikes on alleged drug boats leaving Venezuela. According to a report from The Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the situation, Hegseth ordered everyone aboard the boat to be eliminated, prompting critics to question whether he is guilty of a war crime. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seems to be a war criminal. Without a war. An interesting achievement, Will wrote in his op-ed,
A very clear one. I can tell you that was definitely not artificial intelligence. I I watched it live! We knew exactly who was in that boat. We knew exactly what they were doing, and we knew exactly who they represented. And that was Tren de Aragua, a narco terrorist organization designated by the United States trying to poison our country with illicit drugs.
For your Christmas wish list," he wrote above the post, an apparent attempt to make light of deadly U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. For your Christmas wish list pic.twitter.com/pLXzg20SaL—PeteHegseth Earlier Sunday, lawmakers said they support congressional reviews of those strikes, citing a published report in the Washington Post that Hegseth issued a verbal order for all crew members to be killed as part of a Sept. 2 attack.
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) was asked by a reporter if he still had confidence in Hegseth's leadership, and he answered, The question will be based on the facts as we find them out, we're going to have some discussions within the committee. Until such times we know the full facts, we won't be making comment. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) also refused to answer when asked the same question, saying, I don't have, at this point, I guess, an evaluation of the secretary.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth capped the Thanksgiving weekend with a meme about the Trump administration's drug boat strikes in the Caribbean, and the internet is crushing him for it. It all started on Sunday night when the former Fox News host shared a photo on X of a mock children's book cover with the title, Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists. For your Christmas wish list Hegseth wrote alongside the post.
MS NOW's Morning Joe crew warned that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth may have put himself in dangerous legal peril by bragging about a strike mission on a suspected narco-trafficking boat after reports he ordered SEAL Team 6 to kill everybody aboard and then allegedly struck survivors in the water. The Washington Post reported Sunday that the September mission, part of a Trump administration push against Venezuelan drug routes, escalated after a drone spotted two survivors clinging to the wreckage, prompting a second strike.
