Trump defends Hegseth over Venezuelan drug boat second strike claims

President Donald Trump on Sunday defended Secretary of Warfare Pete Hegseth over allegations that he ordered a second assault on a Venezuelan drug boat. He stated he believes Hegseth’s denial and wouldn’t have supported a follow-up assault if it had occurred.

The trade befell throughout a dialog aboard Air Drive One, when reporters pressed Trump on claims that Hegseth approved a second strike that reportedly killed two wounded males after an earlier assault on a suspected drug smuggling ship.

Trump repeatedly stated Hegseth denied issuing such an order. He added that he was conscious of the allegation, however emphasised that Hegseth instructed him the allegation was unfaithful and that he accepted that clarification with out hesitation.

“He stated he did not say that, and I consider him 100%,” Trump stated.

HEGSETH SHARED DETAILS OF YEMEN’S STRIKES IN SECOND SIGNAL CHAT: REPORT

President Donald Trump defended Secretary of Warfare Pete Hegseth amid allegations that he ordered a second strike on a suspected narcotics ship within the Caribbean on September 2, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures)

Reporters requested Trump whether or not he would have approved a second strike if Hegseth had ordered one, prompting him to once more distance himself from the accusation whereas emphasizing that he trusted his secretary of battle.

Trump stated he deliberate to acquire extra details about the reported incident, however reiterated Hegseth’s assurances that nothing untoward had occurred.

“No, I would not have needed that. No second assault,” Trump stated.

DEM SEN JOHN FETTERMAN SUPPORTS THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE TO FIGHT DRUG TRAFFICKING TO US

Secretary of Warfare Pete Hegseth solutions a query from a reporter throughout a roundtable dialogue on felony cartels within the State Eating Room of the White Home, Thursday, October 23, 2025. (Evan Vucci/AP)

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Nonetheless, he praised the broader marketing campaign towards drug-smuggling boats, saying the strikes had sharply diminished the move of narcotics by sea into the US in latest months.

Trump argued that the ships posed a lethal menace and known as the operations mandatory to guard People, calling the missions lethal however justified.

“You’ll be able to see the boats,” he stated. “You’ll be able to see the medicine within the boats and every boat is chargeable for killing 25,000 People.”

TRUMP SAYS ‘DON’T READ ANYTHING INTO IT’ WHEN ASKED ABOUT DECLARING VENEZUELA AIRSPACE CLOSED

Video footage confirmed the ship shortly earlier than it was destroyed. (@realDonaldTrump by way of Reality Social)

Trump got here to Hegseth’s protection after stories from shops corresponding to The Washington Publish and CNN claimed that the US navy ordered a second assault on a suspected drug ship within the Caribbean on September 2, after the sooner assault left two survivors.

In line with The Washington Publish, the commander overseeing that operation instructed colleagues throughout a safe convention name that the survivors had been reputable targets as a result of they might nonetheless contact different traffickers for assist and ordered the second strike to satisfy what he stated was a directive from Hegseth that everybody be killed.

“As traditional, the faux information delivers extra fabricated, inflammatory and derogatory reporting to discredit our unbelievable warriors preventing to guard the homeland,” Hegseth wrote on X on Friday.

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“As now we have stated from the start and in each assertion, these extremely efficient assaults are particularly supposed as ‘deadly, kinetic assaults,’” Hegseth continued. “The said intent is to cease lethal medicine, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who’re poisoning the American folks. Each trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Group.”

Fox Information Digital’s Greg Norman and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.