US Democrats on Sunday pushed the Trump administration to release video of a second strike on an alleged drug boat incapacitated in the Caribbean, continuing to escalate pressure on the Pentagon amid accusations the attack was unlawful.
Eleven people died in the 2 September attack, including two men killed in a follow-up strike as they reportedly clung to wreckage for an hour. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth faces intense scrutiny after the Washington Post reported he gave an order to “kill them all”. Admiral Frank Bradley, who oversaw the attack, told lawmakers there was no such order.
“If the Pentagon and our defence secretary are so proud of what they’re doing, let the American people see that video,” Senator Adam Schiff said. President Donald Trump has said he has no problem releasing the video, but Hegseth did not commit to doing so on Saturday, citing the need to protect sensitive information.
Representative Jim Himes described the video as “one of the most troubling scenes I’ve ever seen”. Representative Adam Smith said it was “pretty clear they don’t want to release this video” because it is “very, very difficult to justify”.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton said he did not oppose release and found the video not gruesome. He defended the legality, arguing the boat remained a valid target and the two men were not helpless.
