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The video was shown during meetings on Capitol Hill with Admiral Frank Bradley, the commander who oversaw the Sept. 2 operation that included a total of four strikes. The attack killed 11 people, including the two who survived the first blast that hit their boat.
A Washington Post report on a September U.S. military raid on a suspected drug trafficking ship in the Caribbean has raised concerns in Congress about the role of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
On Thursday morning, Republican Congressman Mike Turner said lawmakers were questioning the accuracy of the information provided by the Trump administration. However, after briefings with senior military officials, including General Dan Caine and Admiral Frank Bradley, and after reviewing the footage, partisan divisions quickly returned.
Republicans defended Hegseth and the operation, while Democrats criticized it, raising moral and legal concerns. At the center of the debate is the Trump administration's anti-drug campaign in the Caribbean, including the classification of traffickers as "terrorist organizations" and the use of deadly force without outside legal oversight. Since the first attack in September, there have been at least 22 similar attacks, with more than 80 people killed.
The Washington Post reported that during one attack, two survivors from the first attack were killed in the water during the second attack, after Hegseth reportedly ordered "kill them all."
Hegseth said he was present during the first attack but left the room before the second. Lawmakers briefed on the meetings found no evidence that he gave the order.
Democrats, such as Jim Himes of Connecticut, described the second attack as "deeply disturbing," while Republicans, including Senator Tom Cotton, called the operation "legal and necessary."
President Trump has expressed support for the release of the video of the second attack. If released, it could sway public opinion, currently divided along partisan lines.
For now, Hegseth's position appears stable. A Pentagon inspector general's report cleared him of charges of leaking classified information during the "Signalgate" scandal, though it noted that he had endangered personnel and targets by discussing sensitive material on an insecure application.
While two potentially damaging stories have been quieted for the time being, Hegseth could face public attention again in the near future.
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