TRUMP: “I wouldn’t have wanted” a reported second strike on alleged drug boat

Tuesday, December 2, 2025 -Donald Trump said that while he trusts Pete Hegseth’s denial of giving a second-strike order, he personally “wouldn’t have wanted that — not a second strike.” Hegseth has denied issuing a follow-up attack after an initial strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean.

The incident in question — on Sept. 2, 2025 — reportedly involved a second strike against two men who survived the first strike. According to reports, a naval commander, Frank Bradley (then-commander of U.S. Special Operations), carried out the follow-up strike, allegedly under Hegseth’s earlier orders to “leave no survivors.” The White House has confirmed the second strike occurred but insists Hegseth did not directly order it.

The reported strike has triggered bipartisan concern in Congress, with lawmakers demanding oversight and a thorough investigation. Critics warn that striking survivors — if unarmed and no longer posing a threat — could violate U.S. and international law. The administration, meanwhile, says the operation was lawful and justified as part of its broader campaign against drug-trafficking vessels.