‘I STAND BY THE DECISIONS HE MADE: Secretary Pete Hegseth has made no secret that he ordered the first strike on a suspected drug boat with the intention of killing everyone on board. In fact, he bragged about it. “These highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be lethal, kinetic strikes,” Hegseth wrote on X, defending the Sept. 2 attack. “Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them.”
But while Hegseth and his chief spokesman Sean Parnell have torched the Washington Post for its “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory” reporting, which Parnell decried as a false narrative made up of “whole cloth,” the White House outlined a version of events that essentially matched the Post report, point by point.
The newspaper reported that Hegseth gave a verbal order to Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley, head of the Joint Special Operations Command, to destroy the boat with lethal force, in other words, killing the suspected narcoterrorists. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t dispute that. “President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have made it clear that presidentially-designated narcoterrorist groups are subject to lethal targeting in accordance with the laws of war.”
The Post quoted two people as relating that Hegseth’s order to Bradley was to “kill everybody,” which Bradley did under Hegseth’s command. “Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes.” When the initial strike didn’t finish the job, the Post reported Bradley ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions.
Again, no dispute from the White House. “Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated,” Leavitt said.
In a post yesterday, Hegseth called Bradley “an American hero, a true professional,” who has “my 100% support.” But if survivors were killed in a second strike, Hegseth said that was Bradley’s call, not his. “I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made.” In criticizing the Post account, Parnell falsely portrayed the report saying as Hegseth gave some sort of “kill all survivors” order. The Post reported Hegseth only gave one order, before the first strike.
WHITE HOUSE INSISTS ‘DOUBLE TAP’ ON BOAT-STRIKE SURVIVORS IN CARIBBEAN WAS LEGAL
‘HE IS PASSING THE BUCK’: Hegseth said in his post that “When this @DeptofWar says we have the back of our warriors — we mean it,” but he is taking no responsibility for the second strike, which may have killed two survivors in direct contravention of the law of armed conflict. The Pentagon’s Law of War Manual explicitly states that “orders to fire upon the shipwrecked would be clearly illegal.”
It wasn’t as if Hegseth didn’t know how his orders were being carried out. He watched approvingly and boasted about it the next day in a Fox News interview. “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,” Hegseth said. “And that was Tren de Aragua, a narco-terrorist organization designated by the United States, trying to poison our country with illicit drugs.”
“He is passing the buck,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), one of many Democrats calling for Hegesth to be fired. “It’s a chilling signal to everyone in the chain of command that the secretary of defense does not have your back.”
“It seems likely that he actually did give the order to kill everyone on that boat. And those in the chain of command were simply following his orders,” Murphy said on CNN last night. “But he is basically telling everyone, all of his generals, all of the professional staff at the Department of Defense, that I’m going to save myself if things get tough. And that’s just devastating for American national security.”
HEGSETH BACKS ‘HERO’ ADMIRAL WHO ORDERED SECOND STRIKE TO KILL ALLEGED DRUG BOAT SURVIVORS
WICKER: ‘WE’LL FIND OUT THE GROUND TRUTH’: The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), is pledging to get to the bottom of what happened, while withholding judgment about whether the attack would constitute a war crime.
Wicker spoke to reporters on Capitol Hill after Hegseth had made a series of damage-control phone calls to key members of Congress. “I’ve spoken to the secretary of defense and will be speaking to the admiral that was in charge of the operation,” Wicker said. “The secretary did indicate, which has now been in the news media, that there was a second attack.”
Wicker said he has not received confirmation that there were survivors who were killed in the follow-on strike, but expressed confidence that the facts would come out. “I do think we’ll get that information and we’re certainly going to have available to us all of the audio and all of the video,” he said. “We’ll find out the ground truth.”
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) also spoke with Hegseth yesterday and said he was “satisfied” with the conversation, but wants to hear from Bradley as well. “We’ll all have clarity on Thursday afternoon.”
KELLY LIKENS HEGSETH TO ’12-YEAR-OLD PLAYING ARMY,’ SAYS HE SHOULD’VE BEEN FIRED AFTER SIGNAL LEAKS
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HAPPENING TODAY: Expectations are low as President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is in Moscow to present the new, revised peace proposal for ending the war against Ukraine to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The initial version of the plan, widely seen as a Russian wish list, has been significantly modified — improved in the Ukrainian view — to the point it’s now likely unpalatable to Putin, who believes he can fight on until he gets all his demands for more territory, a smaller Ukrainian army, and a ban on Ukraine ever joining NATO.
“We are making every effort to bring this war to an end, and it must be ended with dignity,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a visit to Paris on Monday for consultations with French President Emmanuel Macron.
“When we speak about peace, it is absolutely clear that everyone must play their role. Russia must stop its aggression, and so far it has shown no sign of doing so,” Macron said. “Ukraine is the only party that can negotiate over territories, because these are its territories, recognized under international law.”
STEVE WITKOFF PREPARES FOR KREMLIN MEETING, BUT PUTIN SAYS DEAL IS ‘IMPOSSIBLE’
TRUMP MULLS VENEZUELA OPTIONS: With no sign that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is buckling under the pressure from the Trump administration to step down, President Trump convened a strategy session yesterday at the White House. The afternoon meeting with his national security team included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth.
No details of the discussion were released, but observers believe the options available to Trump are narrowing, as a formidable armada of ships, planes, and troops is poised off the coast of Venezuela.
“I think it’s a two-thirds chance we’re going to see some form of strikes,” former U.S. Southern Commander retired Adm. James Stavridis said on CNN. “We’re going to see drones, Tomahawk missiles, maybe some manned aircraft, probably going after drug-related sites. That fits in with the narrative the administration has laid out.”
“I think the president will formally receive these options, take advice from his Cabinet, make a decision,” Stavridis speculated while ruling out significant numbers of ground troops as “high risk.”
“Let’s hope President Maduro wakes up to the reality of what he’s looking at and decides, ‘Ah, now’s a pretty good time to head out to a hacienda outside of Havana.’ I hope he does that. If not, I think the strikes are a two-in-three chance,” Stavridis said.
LOOMER’S LATEST: The Pentagon is planning special briefings this week for the new Hegseth-friendly reporters who signed up for building passes, following the departure of the old press corps after they refused to sign a pledge not to solicit information beyond what is approved.
Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson, who has yet to brief on camera, is scheduled to meet with reporters today, and Pete Hegseth will brief them tomorrow. The invitation-only events are intended as an orientation “for credentialed press only,” and mainstream media outlets are barred.
Some of the “new media” reporters were trolling the old-school correspondents by taking pictures sitting at their former desks in the Pentagon press room, including Trump ally Laura Loomer, who claimed the desk that used to belong to Dan Lamothe of The Washington Post. “Now it’s mine,” she posted on X.
Loomer, who bills herself as an investigative reporter, said she plans to quiz Hegseth about her latest scoop, that “individuals in the office of U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll have been orchestrating a Coup against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in an effort to have him removed by President Trump and replaced by Dan Driscoll.”
Loomer claims former national security adviser Jake Sullivan is behind the “coup” attempt. “Over the last 2 weeks, the legacy media, which is incredibly hostile to Hegseth, has been posting puff pieces about Dan Driscoll and how he is a ‘rising star’ at the Pentagon.”
“High-level sources at the Pentagon have confirmed to me that Sullivan has been planting stories in support of Driscoll because Sullivan wants Hegseth removed and replaced by Driscoll,” Loomer wrote. “I will be asking about this attempted coup on Pete Hegseth at the upcoming Pentagon Press Briefing this week.”
LEAVE FRANKLIN OUT OF THIS: Pete Hegseth kicked off dueling memes this week when he posted a mockup of a children’s book featuring Franklin the Turtle in military garb standing on a helicopter skid, blasting away at drug boats with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, with the title, “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists.”
“For your Christmas wish list,” Hegseth added. The post prompted other people to post their own versions, which included depicting Franklin at a war crimes tribunal. The publisher of the Franklin the Turtle book series was not amused.
“Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity,” the publishing house Kids Can Press wrote in a statement on X. “We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values.”
PETE HEGSETH SHOULD DEMOTE FRANKLIN THE TURTLE
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: White House insists ‘double tap’ on boat-strike survivors in Caribbean was legal
Washington Examiner: Hegseth backs ‘hero’ admiral who ordered second strike to kill alleged drug boat survivors
Washington Examiner: Pete Hegseth should demote Franklin the Turtle
Washington Examiner: Steve Witkoff prepares for Kremlin meeting, but Putin says deal is ‘impossible’
Washington Examiner: Kelly likens Hegseth to ’12-year-old playing army,’ says he should’ve been fired after Signal leaks
Washington Examiner: Trump says US ‘very satisfied’ with Syria under al Sharaa and asks Israel not to ‘interfere’
Washington Examiner: Trump says Zelensky corruption scandal ‘not helpful’ for peace efforts
AP: Outlets that reach millions denied access to rare Pentagon news briefings this week
New York Times: For Trump, Hegseth’s Take-No-Prisoners Approach Is a Growing Liability
AP: Maduro, defiant after call with Trump, says his country will not be colonized
AP: Ukrainian troops near the front doubt the proposed pact with Russia will bring lasting peace
Wall Street Journal: Trump’s Push to End the Ukraine War Is Sowing Fresh Fear About NATO’s Future
The War Zone: Russian Shahed-136 Kamikaze Drones Now Armed with Air-To-Air Missiles
Defense News: Marines Seek Osprey-Portable GPS Landing System for Austere Airfields
Seattle Times: Boeing’s 737-Derived E-7 Wedgetail Caught in Congress-Pentagon Spat
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Plans Surveillance Sats to Complement RG-XX Reconnaissance Fleet
SpaceNews: Varda Space Launches Its Fifth Mission, Extends Run of AFRL Test Flights
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Airman Wounded in Shooting One of Few Air Guardsmen on DC Mission
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Pentagon Awards $1.6B Contract to Sustain F-35 Engines for Next Year
Breaking Defense: JP Morgan Eyeing Both Defense Startups and Legacy Firms for $10B Investment Push: Execs
DefenseScoop: Pentagon Posts Guidance on Implementing Zero Trust for Operational Technology
Task & Purpose: Pentagon Pledges $400 Million for ‘Immediate’ Barracks Renovation
Air & Space Forces Magazine: F-16 Pilot Awarded Silver Star for Dodging Surface-to-Air Missiles over Yemen
Air Force Times: Space Force Trainees First to Don New Dress Uniform in Graduation
THE CALENDAR:
TUESDAY | DECEMBER 2
10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “It’s Time to Invest: Enhancing Current and Future U.S. Air Force Airlift,” with retired Air Force Gen. Duncan McNabb, former commander, U.S. Transportation Command https://afa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register
10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “Strengthening U.S. alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific,” with Michael O’Hanlon, director of research at the Brookings Foreign Policy Program, director, Brookings Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy and Technology and Brookings chair in defense and strategy; Mira Rapp-Hopper, visiting fellow, Brookings Foreign Policy Program and Brookings Center for Asia Policy Studies; Miraya Solis, director, Brookings Center for Asia Policy Studies and senior fellow, Brookings Foreign Policy Center; and Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director, Brookings Foreign Policy Program https://www.brookings.edu/events/strengthening-us-alliances
2 p.m. 2358-C Rayburn — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe briefing: “The MAX App: Russia’s Pocket-Sized Approach to Mass Surveillance,” with Laura Cunningham, president of the Open Technology Fund; Justin Sherman, founder and CEO of Global Cyber Strategies; and Anastasiya Zhyrmont, policy manager for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Access Now https://www.youtube.com/live
2 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies event: “Keeping China Grounded: Ensuring Long-Term U.S. Tech Leadership in Low Earth Orbit” https://www.csis.org/events/keeping-china-grounded
WEDNESDAY | DECEMBER 3
9 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Korea Foundation ROK-U.S. Strategic Forum, focusing on “denuclearization, U.S.-Korea bilateral economic relations and regional relations with China, Japan and Russia,” with South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun; former Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, policymaker in residence at the University of Michigan Weiser Diplomacy Center; and former Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, chairman and co-founder, Asia Group, https://www.csis.org/events/rok-us-strategic-forum-2025
10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “The dramatic transformation occurring within the National Reconnaissance Office,” with National Reconnaissance Office Deputy Director Christopher Povak; and Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton, explorer chair at the Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/events/maj-gen-chris-povak/
8 p.m. — Jews United for Democracy and Justice virtual discussion: “Israel Update: Trump’s Plan – Breakthrough or Breakdown,” with Aaron David Miller, senior fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Madeleine Brand, host of the daily news and culture show “Press Play” https://www.jewsunitedfordemocracy.org/blog/event
THURSDAY | DECEMBER 4
8 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia — Association of the U.S. Army event: “The Foundations of Holistic Health and Fitness,” with Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus; and Lt. Gen. Brian Eifler, deputy chief of staff, G-1 at the Army https://www.ausa.org/events/hot-topic/foundations-of-holistic-health-and-fitness
11 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE — Heritage Foundation in-person discussion: “A New American Statecraft for Winning the New Cold War,” with Jeff Smith, director, Heritage Asian Studies Center; and Brent Sadler, senior research fellow, Heritage Center for National Security https://www.heritage.org/china/event/new-american-statecraft
11 a.m. — McCain Institute virtual book discussion: “Autocracy Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World,” with author Anne Applebaum, journalist and historian; and Evelyn Farkas, executive director, McCain Institute https://www.mccaininstitute.org/resources/events/authors-insights
12 p.m. — Henry L. Stimson Center Center in-person and virtual discussion: “Enduring Hostility: A Book Talk on Why the U.S. and Iran Remain Adversaries,” with distinguished fellow Barbara Slavin, author Dalia Dassa Kaye, and veteran diplomat Ryan Crocker https://www.stimson.org/event/enduring-hostility-a-book-talk
2 p.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “Preparing NATO for the Challenges of Tomorrow,” with Italian Air Force Gen. Aurelio Colagrande, deputy supreme allied commander transformation for NATO; and Michael Andersson, head of strategic partnerships and international affairs at Saab, Inc. and board director at the Atlantic Council https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/general-aurelio-colagrande
FRIDAY | DECEMBER 5
10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “Hollywood vs. Reality: Nuclear Deterrence in the Age of ‘Dynamite’ and ‘Oppenheimer,” with Adam Lowther, NIDS vice president of research; and Peter Huessy, NIDS senior fellow https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/hollywood-vs-reality-nuclear-deterrence
FRIDAY | DECEMBER 12
10:30 a.m. Doral, Florida — Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey relinquishes his duties as commander of U.S. Southern Command to Air Force Lt. Gen. Evan L. Pettus at the command’s headquarters. Holsey will retire after more than 37 years of service in the U.S. Navy.
