Hegseth, with White House help, tries to distance himself from boat strike fallout [View all]

Source: Washington Post

Hegseth, with White House help, tries to distance himself from boat strike fallout

As Congress vows accountability, the Trump administration emphasized it was a top military commander -- not the defense secretary -- who directed the engagement.

Updated
December 1, 2025 at 8:31 p.m. EST


Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the White House in November. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post)

By Noah Robertson and Tara Copp

Officials in Congress and the Pentagon said Monday they are increasingly concerned that the Trump administration intends to scapegoat the military officer who directed U.S. forces to kill two survivors of a targeted strike on suspected drug smugglers in Latin America, as lawmakers made initial moves to investigate whether the attack constituted a war crime.

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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/12/01/hegseth-caine-boat-strikes-caribbean/

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Description at the WaPo website:

Concerns grow that Hegseth, White House aim to scapegoat admiral in deadly boat strike

As Congress vows accountability, the Trump administration emphasized it was a top military commander -- not Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth -- who directed the engagement.

By Noah Robertson and Tara Copp Updated 1 hour ago