Republicans and Democrats remain concerned about Sept. 2 boat strikes as Hegseth changes story

Lawmakers from both parties remain concerned about the September 2 boat strikes near Venezuela, as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's account of his involvement in the incident has changed. The deadly incidents have raised questions about the US military's actions and response to the situation.

The change in Hegseth's story comes amid growing scrutiny over the administration's handling of the crisis. The Democratic-led House Foreign Affairs Committee is expected to hold a hearing on the issue, where lawmakers will seek more clarity on what really happened.

Hegseth's initial account described him as being "in command" of the operation and making decisions in real-time, but he later revised his statement to say that he was not directly involved. The discrepancy has raised questions about Hegseth's credibility and the administration's transparency.

The incident has also sparked debate over the US military's role in Venezuela and its relations with the country. Some lawmakers have called for tougher sanctions against Venezuela and greater support for Venezuelan opposition groups, while others have expressed concerns about the potential consequences of military intervention.

As the situation continues to unfold, lawmakers are working to gather more information and understand the full extent of what happened on September 2. The changing story from Hegseth adds another layer of complexity to an already contentious issue, highlighting the need for clear communication and transparency from those in power.

In a related development, CBS News has obtained documents showing that Hegseth had been briefed on the operation before it took place, contradicting his earlier claims of ignorance. The revelation raises further questions about the administration's knowledge of the incident and its response to it.

The September 2 boat strikes are just the latest in a series of incidents involving US military personnel in Venezuela. The situation has sparked tensions between the US and Venezuela, with both sides accusing each other of aggression.

I'm low-key worried about this whole thing... Like, what's going on here? First, Hegseth says he's all over it, then he pulls a 180 and says he wasn't even there. It just doesn't add up . And now we're finding out that he was briefed on the op before it happened? That's some shady stuff right there . The more I think about it, the more I'm like... what are they hiding? Can't trust a single thing from this administration at this point .

[Image of a confused meme with a speech bubble saying "Wait what?"]

[Dad joke GIF] : When you're trying to keep your story straight but it's already sinking like the boat in Venezuela

[Illustration of a guy looking at his phone, with a red X marked through his face] : When your version of events is getting fact-checked by the whole world

Ugh I don't get why everyone's making such a big deal about this ... I mean Pete Hegseth changes his story like, what's the big deal? It's not like he's hiding something super scandalous here ... and btw, if he was really "in command" of the op, shouldn't he be able to recall every single detail without changing it? ... or maybe we're just overthinking this whole thing and it's actually no biggie ... I mean, come on, people need to chill out a bit .

OMG u guys, this is getting outta hand! Like Pete Hegseth's story changes like 3 times already?! How can u trust him now?! And what's w/ the admin trying to sweep it under the rug? The ppl deserve answers! They need 2 know wht really went down & how the military is handling situations like this. It's not just about Venezuela, it's about accountability!

What's going on with Hegseth's story? I'm so confused now, I thought he was saying he was involved but then says he wasn't... doesn't that kinda raise some trust issues? And what about those documents from CBS News showing he got briefed beforehand? That seems like a pretty big discrepancy.

And can we talk about how these incidents are happening in the first place? Like, what's going on with US military presence in Venezuela? Is it even right to have our troops there? I'm all for supporting opposition groups and sanctions, but at the same time, we gotta think about the consequences of getting involved.

I'm so tired of politicians changing their stories like that... doesn't anyone just stick to what they say from the start? And can we get some real transparency here? It's not fair that we're left in the dark while these officials are playing games.

I'm really worried about this whole thing... like what's going on over there? First, we got this boat strike that killed a bunch of people, and now Pete Hegseth is like "I wasn't even involved"? That doesn't add up at all. And to think he was the one who gave that initial statement about being in charge... I mean, if you're gonna lie about something as big as this, it's not just a small fib, right? It's a whole different level of messed up.

I'm also super concerned about what's going on with those documents from CBS News. Like, how did Hegseth not know anything before the operation took place? That's just crazy talk! And now we're questioning whether the admin was even prepared for something like this to happen. It's like, come on guys... get your story straight and be honest about what happened.

I don't really think we're getting the whole truth from these people in power... they're always changing their stories and it's just so frustrating! Can't we just have some clarity around this for once?

OMG you guys, can't believe what's going on with Pete Hegseth ! He's been caught in a major lie about being directly involved in those boat strikes near Venezuela . First he says he's in command, then suddenly says he wasn't even there... wut is goin on?! The administration needs to get its story straight ASAP .

And can we talk about how shady it looks that Hegseth was briefed on the operation before it happened? That's just a major red flag . We need transparency, not secrecy . And what about those sanctions against Venezuela? Shouldn't we be focusin' on diplomacy over more aggression?

This whole thing is so complicated and frustrating . The US military needs to do better, and we need better communication from our leaders. Let's keep the pressure on and demand answers! #VenezuelaCrisis #TransparencyMatters #MilitaryAccountability

you know what's wild? I was thinking about trying out this new food delivery app last night and they had these crazy good empanadas but then I started thinking about how our internet speeds in the US are so slow compared to places like South Korea or Japan I mean, have you ever tried to stream a video online during rush hour? it's like trying to do a puzzle with missing pieces. anyway, back to Venezuela... I feel like we're getting caught up in all these international politics issues without even thinking about the impact on everyday people

I'm super concerned about this whole thing... I mean, can you believe it's changed again? It's like they're trying to cover something up or something. Pete Hegseth's story just keeps changing and it's getting harder to trust him. And now there are documents showing he was briefed on the op before it happened? That's just red flag after red flag... What were they thinking?! The whole situation is so messed up and I don't think anyone knows what really went down. We need answers ASAP, you know?

so i'm thinking... if sec def hedseth's story keeps changing like that, how can we trust him to be telling us the truth? it's like he's trying to spin something or cover his tracks or what? and it's not just him, it's like the whole administration is getting its story straight i mean, why did hedseth change his story in the first place? did he realize there was something he didn't want to admit? and now we're left with all these questions about what really happened on sept 2... and it's not just about hedseth or one incident, it's like a whole pattern of behavior from the admin that's making everyone skeptical

I'm really concerned about this whole thing with Secretary Hegseth's account changing - it just seems like a big mess to me ... I mean, what was he thinking initially? And why did his story change so suddenly? It makes you wonder if there's more to the story than we're being told . And now we've got these documents showing he was briefed on the operation beforehand - that's just shady ... it raises a lot of questions about what really went down and who knew what, when. I think lawmakers have every right to be upset about this and want more answers . We need some clear communication from those in power here - no beating around the bush or hiding behind platitudes . It's just not fair to the American people who are trying to make sense of all this ...

idk how much more of this i can take... first he's like "i was in command" then suddenly he's all "i wasn't directly involved"... what's going on here? it's like they're trying to cover something up or something. and now they've got these docs showing he knew about the op beforehand... yeah right, because that's exactly what we need more of - lies from people in power

I'm not sure what's more concerning - the fact that Secretary Hegseth's story is changing or that he was briefed on the operation before it happened . It feels like we're getting a whiplash effect here, where everyone's trying to keep up with each other. Remember when Colin Powell used to give those daily briefings back in the day? You felt like you knew what was going on, but now it's all muddled. What really went down on that boat strike, huh? The more we learn, the less I trust these people .