Sen. Tim Kaine says reported second strike on alleged drug boat "rises to the level of a war crime if it's true"

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia has accused the Biden administration of committing a "war crime" in response to reports that a U.S. follow-on strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean was ordered, resulting in the death of two survivors.

The Democratic senator made the comments during an appearance on CBS News' "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," saying that if the reported incident is true, it would be a clear violation of international laws governing the treatment of civilians. Kaine pointed to a verbal order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to leave no survivors, and a follow-on strike that killed two people in the water.

Hegseth has disputed the reports, calling them "fabricated, inflammatory and derogatory." However, Kaine believes that the administration's actions are shoddy and lack transparency. He has proposed passing war powers resolutions aimed at preventing the president from conducting strikes without congressional approval.

President Trump also weighed in on the matter, saying he didn't know if the reported incident occurred and expressing confidence in Hegseth's leadership. However, Trump acknowledged that a second strike would be unacceptable and promised to investigate the matter further.

The controversy has raised concerns about the administration's use of drone strikes in the Caribbean and the treatment of civilians caught in the crossfire. Former military lawyers have weighed in on social media, stating that the reported follow-on strike would be a clear violation of international law.

Congressional leaders have vowed to investigate the reports, with lawmakers seeking answers about the strikes' legality, targeting civilians, and the administration's rationale for conducting such operations at sea. Kaine has called for Congress to rein in the president's executive power, citing concerns that Trump is waging war on his own authority.

the US gov't seems like it's got a serious case of "drone-nageddon" - i mean, what kind of military strategy allows for follow-on strikes without even trying to save the lives of civilians? it's like they think they're above the law and international norms. but you know what the real lesson here is? accountability matters if the ppl in power can't be held accountable for their actions, then we've lost sight of whats truly important - humanity

Ugh I'm gettin so tired of politicians arguin about what constitutes a "war crime" Like they never heard of situational awareness or clear orders from commanders before? This whole thing sounds like some kinda bureaucratic mess to me Can't we just focus on the facts here and let the investigations run their course instead of jumpin all over each other's throats? And what's with all this talk about "leavin no survivors" - that's just a war tactic, not a "crime" in itself

idk how much more evidence u guys need before this gets super serious... like 2 ppl die & we're still debating whether it was even legit a "war crime" is no joke, especially when it's about innocent ppl caught in the middle of a conflict. Kaine's right to call out the admin for lack of transparency & accountability we need 2 know what's really going on here & how this affects us all

man this whole thing is like a mirror held up to us ... the fact that these two people lost their lives and we're still debating whether it was worth it? what does that say about our values as a society? if we can't even agree on how to treat our own citizens, how can we expect to be the guardians of freedom and justice for others? the more I think about it, the more I'm reminded of this idea that power corrupts, but only when we give it up to someone else... Kaine's right to question the administration's actions, but at what cost? is this just another example of the blurred lines between politics and war?

this whole thing just got super weird... like, how can we even talk about a "war crime" without knowing all the deets? i mean, i get where Kaine's coming from - if there was indeed an order to leave no survivors, that's some serious business. but at the same time, Hegseth says the reports are fabricated... and Trump's all like "i don't know what happened"... like, can we just get a straight answer for once? anyway, this whole thing's got me thinking - what even is our stance on drone strikes now? should we be policing each other or giving presidents more wiggle room?

I'm getting all these flashbacks of the Black Hawk Down incident back in 1993. Remember how those US soldiers were ambushed and killed in Somalia? It was a real mess. Now it seems like the Biden administration's handling of this situation is reminiscent of that fiasco. I mean, two people dead after a follow-on strike? That's just not right. And what's with the Defense Secretary's response? Sounds like he's trying to cover his tracks, you know? I'm all for transparency in these situations, especially when it comes to our military operations abroad. We should be making sure that we're following international law and treating civilians with respect. The fact that some former military lawyers are speaking out on this issue just goes to show how serious things need to get. And let's not forget about President Trump weighing in – he's not exactly known for his diplomatic prowess, if you know what I mean...

Dude, this whole thing is just so messed up I'm all about holding our leaders accountable, but come on, a "war crime" accusation? It's like, yeah, we need to investigate and find out what really went down, but let's not jump to conclusions just yet. The fact that two people died in the water is already tragic enough; we don't want to start looking at this as some kind of war trophy

And can we talk about how quickly everyone's jumping on Trump for saying he didn't know if the incident happened? Like, come on, dude, you're not even trying to defend himself It's just... politics. But seriously, though, what's up with all these reports of drone strikes going on in the Caribbean? We need to get some answers and make sure our military is respecting international law

think kaine might be right tho... 2 ppl dead & not even tryin to save 'em? thats some messed up stuff . dont even get me started on the lack of transparency from hegseth... sounds like they're hidin somethin . cant have president just wavin his wand & killin civilians without checkin in with congress first . maybe its time for some changes in washington

I'm really worried about this situation ... if what Kaine says is true, it's super serious and we need some answers ASAP. I mean, who gives orders to just leave people to die in the water? That sounds like a total disregard for human life . And now Trump is saying he doesn't know what happened, but still talking about investigating it... isn't that just a way of avoiding accountability? The fact that we're debating whether or not this was even a "war crime" is wild to me... shouldn't we be focusing on making sure something like this never happens again?

idk how this is even a thing . like, what's next? accusing us of war crimes because we have a pizza delivery guy with a drone ? seriously though, two people die and suddenly we're talking war crimes? i guess that's what happens when you're trying to assert your authority in the middle of a pandemic . Kaine is literally crying wolf here and Trump is just playing dumb, but hey, at least he acknowledged it wasn't acceptable ... unless he's secretly just trolling us all .

I'm getting a bad vibe from this... Reminds me of that time during Katrina when the gov was being super slow with relief efforts . It feels like the admin is playing with lives and not taking responsibility for their actions. I mean, if it's true that they ordered that strike, it's just heartbreaking to think about those two people who lost their lives. And now they're trying to cover it up? No thanks. Kaine's right, we need more transparency and accountability from the powers that be. Back in my day, we would've been all over this like a bad rash...

This whole thing is so messed up ... I mean, two people dead, and it sounds like they might not have had a choice whether to stay or go . It's just so sad. You know, back in the day, we didn't see this kind of stuff happening on our waters. I remember watching "Navy SEALs" with my dad and thinking that was some serious stuff. Now, it seems like our government is handling these things with a big ol' shovel, just sweeping it all under the rug . And what really gets me is that there's so much more to this story than we're being told. It's like they're trying to keep us in the dark about something. We need transparency here, you know? The government needs to be held accountable for their actions. This whole situation just feels... wrong .

omg what a mess so like we know the US is all about protecting its interests abroad but this is wild... if it's true that the Biden admin ordered a strike that killed two people in the water without even trying to save them first idk how u can call that not a war crime i mean what if those 2 ppl were, like, innocent bystanders or something? and now Trump is all "investigate further" but like, isn't that just gonna take forever and more lives are at risk in the meantime and meanwhile Kaine's all "congress needs to step up its game" and I'm over here like yaaas pls make us all safe from these drone strikes

The whole situation seems so serious and complicated... just like "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."

I'm gettin' really worried about this drone strike situation... if it's true that there was a deliberate order to leave no survivors, that's just plain unacceptable . We gotta make sure we're followin' the rules of war and protectin' innocent lives. I mean, what's next? Just 'cause the president says so doesn't mean we can just start shootin' willy-nilly? We need to get our act together and have a serious discussion about how we're conductin' these military operations... it's time for some real accountability .