Democratic Rep. Jim Himes, the party's top lawmaker on the House Intelligence Committee, said he was stunned after a briefing from military officials involved in the double-tap strike against an alleged drug vessel in September.
Speaking to press after the briefing, Himes said Admiral Mitch Bradley, who took part in the episode, has a storied career and he has my respect and he should have the respect of all of us."
However, he went on to say that "what I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things that I've seen in my time in public service."
"You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel, who were killed by the United States," he added.
Full quote from Himes: "Let me just say this: Adm. Bradley and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff did the right thing. And Adm. Bradley defended the decisions taken, and Adm. Bradley has a storied career and he has my respect and he should have the respect of all of us.… https://t.co/BfRk03lAln
— Haley Britzky (@halbritz) December 4, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has been under intense scrutiny since reports about the second strike surfaced, has said he didn't stay after the first one, but defended the legality of the second one and said the decision was made by Bradley.
However, previous reports had noted that Pentagon officials are concerned that the Trump administration is throwing Bradley under the bus. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that Bradley "worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed."
The statement, the outlet added, left Defense Department officials angry at the possibility that Hegseth won't take responsibility for any legal consequence that could stem from the attack. "This is 'protect Pete' bullsh-t," one official told the outlet. Some civilian staff are considering leaving the administration, it added.
Several lawmakers have come out to criticize Hegseth, and Republican-led Committees in the House and the Senate announced they will conduct respective investigations regarding the incident.
Moreover, Republican Rep. Don Bacon said that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should leave his post if it's confirmed that he was involved in the decision.
"We don't kill two survivors who are not posing an imminent threat to anybody. I want to make sure i get the facts, that what's being reported is true. Somebody should held accountable. It should be at the top, not the bottom," Bacon said, noting that officials who followed orders should not be the ones held accountable for the episode. He made the claim before the most recent reports.
Sen Rand Paul also slammed him before the most recent report, saying it seems like the administration is "trying to pin the blame" for the potential consequences of the follow-on attack on "somebody else."
"Hegseth said he had no knowledge of this and it did not happen, that it was fake news and didn't happen. And then the next day, from the podium at the White House, they're saying it did happen," Paul said.
"So either he was lying to us on Sunday or he's incompetent and didn't know it happened. Do we think there's any chance that on Sunday the secretary of defense didn't know there was a second strike?" Paul added.
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