Hegseth gives defiant speech defending 'drug boat' strikes amid scrutiny

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has doubled down on his support for US military strikes against alleged drug cartel boats in the Caribbean, arguing that President Trump has the authority to take decisive action without congressional oversight.

Hegseth made his remarks at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in California, where he defended the strikes as necessary to protect American lives. He compared suspected smugglers to al-Qaida terrorists and said that if they bring drugs into the country on a boat, "we will find you and we will sink you."

The defense secretary's comments came amid growing concerns over the legality of the strikes and his leadership at the Pentagon. Many legal experts have criticized the administration's rationale for the strikes, arguing that the US is not at war with an armed group in the Caribbean and that the suspected traffickers have not attacked the US or its assets abroad.

The Trump administration has insisted that the nearly two dozen strikes are legal under the rules of war because they are part of a broader conflict with fentanyl traffickers operating as part of designated terrorist organizations. However, regional experts have pointed out repeatedly that the strikes will do little to halt fentanyl smuggling, which mostly arrives in the US via Mexico.

The controversy surrounding Hegseth's leadership has intensified in recent days, with calls from Democrats for his resignation growing louder. The New Democrat Coalition, the largest Democratic caucus in the House, has accused Hegseth of being "incompetent, reckless, and a threat to the lives of the men and women who serve in the armed forces."

Despite Hegseth's defiant rhetoric, there is growing pressure on the administration to explain its actions. The defense secretary repeated Trump's vow to resume nuclear testing on an equal basis with China and Russia, while criticizing Republican leaders for supporting wars in the Middle East.

Hegseth also blasted those who have argued that climate change poses serious challenges to military readiness, saying that the war department will not be "distracted by democracy building, interventionism, undefined wars, regime change, climate change, woke moralizing and feckless nation building."

I'm so tired of this endless cycle of aggression. Can't we just focus on addressing the root cause of fentanyl smuggling instead of sending more military strikes? It's like we're trying to put out a fire with a blowtorch. The fact that climate change is being dismissed as a distraction is worrying, too. How can we expect our troops to be ready for the challenges they'll face if we're not taking care of the planet?

just think about this, us spending billions on nukes & wars in middle east when we got a major problem with fentanyl smuggling from mexico. seems like priorities are outta whack to me

yooo u feel how these ppl r playing with fire over there? like they dont even consider the global impact of their actions . we got our own problems with climate change and now they wanna go nuke china too ?! what's next, invade mexico just cuz of some cartel boats . we need ppl in power who think critically about their decisions, not just follow the crowd .

I'm really concerned about Pete Hegseth's stance on this issue... It seems to me that his comments are rooted in a flawed understanding of the law and a lack of nuance in his approach. The fact that he's comparing alleged smugglers to al-Qaida terrorists is a bit too simplistic, don't you think? And what about the efficacy of these strikes in actually reducing fentanyl smuggling? The data just doesn't seem to support it... It's interesting that Hegseth is trying to draw parallels between the US military and law enforcement, but I'm not convinced it's a clear-cut comparison.

Ugh, this is getting so messy . I mean, Pete Hegseth needs to get his facts straight before he starts ranting about al-Qaida vs cartel smugglers like they're interchangeable targets . Newsflash: we don't have a war in the Caribbean here! And what's with all these 'we will find and sink you' threats? Sounds super intimidating, but does it actually do anything to stop the smuggling?

And can we talk about how ridiculous it is that he's comparing this to nuclear testing on an equal basis with China and Russia? Like, hello, this isn't a game of geopolitics here. It's about actual human lives and international law . And climate change? Forget about it. Let's focus on solving our own problems instead of dodging them behind national security rhetoric .

I'm all for making our military readiness a priority, but come on, guys. Can we please just have some basic facts and logical reasoning here?

I'm really worried about Pete Hegseth's comments on this. Like, I get it, safety is a huge concern, but comparing suspected smugglers to al-Qaida terrorists is pretty extreme . And the fact that he's defending these strikes without any clear plan to stop fentanyl smuggling in Mexico just makes me think we're putting all our eggs in one basket . I mean, we need to be focusing on sustainable solutions, not just military action . Can't we find a way to support countries affected by drug trafficking without resorting to strikes?

I'm so over this, you know? Defense Sec Pete Hegseth is literally doubling down on this crazy idea that he can just take military strikes in the Caribbean without Congress knowing about it. Like, what's next? Is he gonna say we can just start a war with China too because Trump said so? Newsflash: being president doesn't make you some kinda superhero who can do whatever you want.

And honestly, I think Hegseth's whole al-Qaida terrorist thing is just a huge red flag. Like, the guy isn't even in his element, you know? He's basically saying that anyone who smuggles drugs on a boat is gonna be sunk by the US military. That's not how it works, Pete!

And can we please talk about climate change for a second? I mean, I get that Hegseth doesn't want to deal with all the woke moralizing and feckless nation building stuff, but come on, dude. The war department needs to be worried about climate change affecting military readiness, not just ignore it like that's some kinda conspiracy theory.

I'm just so over this whole thing... Can we just get back to solving actual problems instead of making a bunch of empty threats?

man i dont get why they need to take such extreme measures they say its for american lives but like what about the cartel members who are just trying to survive? its not that black and white. and whats with this 'we will find you and we will sink you' vibe? thats like something out of a bad action movie its not gonna solve anything.

these strikes r justifying lives lost for some smugglin boats ? think about it . US is in a global war on fentanyl, no? so how can u hit some boat in the middle of ocean w/o proof? Hegseth needs 2 be more honest & less reckless . who is he 2 decide what's best 4 America?

I think it's quite telling that Hegseth is framing these strikes as a necessary measure to protect American lives, but what about the civilians on those boats? We can't just treat them like enemy combatants without due process. The fact that he's comparing them to al-Qaida terrorists is also concerning - that kind of language tends to dehumanize people and justify a more aggressive response. And let's not forget, we're talking about an area where the US has no declared war or conflict with these alleged traffickers... it feels like we're just playing at being a global superpower again

I'm getting super worried about Pete Hegseth's comments on using force against suspected smugglers in the Caribbean . I mean, come on, comparing them to Al-Qaida terrorists is way too extreme! And what's with the 'we'll find you and we'll sink you' vibe? It sounds like a total power trip ‍.

And let's not forget, these strikes have been happening for months now, and we still don't really know how effective they are in stopping fentanyl smuggling . Meanwhile, the US is already dealing with climate change, and Hegseth's all about ignoring that to go 'boom' .

I'm all for keeping our country safe, but can't we do this without being so aggressive? It feels like he's more concerned with looking tough than actually solving problems .

man I'm getting so sick of hearing about our mil being used like a law enforcement agency instead of actually keeping us safe lol what's next, are we gonna start using drones to catch speeders in Cali? meanwhile, fentanyl is still flooding our streets and they're worried about some cartel boats in the Caribbean? I get that our lives matter but can't we just address the real issues instead of trying to flex our mil muscle?