Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the Pentagon would not publicly release the much-discussed video showing a deadly second strike on an alleged drug boat off Venezuela on Sept. 2.
Why it matters: Some Democrats and legal experts have described the strike on two survivors who were clinging to the boat as a war crime. The administration denies that, and President Trump initially said he had "no problem" making the video public before backtracking.
What they're saying: Hegseth said the video would be shown to the House and Senate armed services committees on Wednesday, with Adm. Frank Bradley, whom Hegseth has said ordered the strike, on hand.
- Hegseth claimed declining to release the full video was a matter of "long-standing" Pentagon policy. He described the video as "top-secret." The White House did release a 30-second video of the first strike.
- Scores of Democrats and several Republicans have urged the White House and Pentagon to release the video.
What it shows: The second strike came around 30 mins after the first.
- At that point the boat had overturned, and two shirtless survivors were trying desperately to flip it back over, according to public accounts from lawmakers who have already seen the video.
- Then came the deadly second strike.
Between the lines: The laws of armed conflict forbid targeting enemies who have been shipwrecked and are no longer active combatants.
- The Pentagon has claimed the two survivors could have righted the boat and continued transporting drugs, or communicated with others on shore to retrieve the cargo.
- Hegseth reiterated on Tuesday that conducting the second strike was "the right call."
What to watch: Expect to hear reactions — and more calls for transparency — from Democrats on the two committees that will see the video tomorrow.
