‘You don’t execute illegal orders’: Adam Kinzinger understood what needed to be said against Trump and Pete Hegseth, and he said it
Anyone who has been keeping up with the recent news is likely aware of the situation surrounding Pete Hegseth. The Secretary of War for the United States is currently under intense public scrutiny for his actions dating back to September.
In the first week of September, under the directives of Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth, several attacks were launched on vessels in the Caribbean Sea. While there wasn’t much sensational coverage of the incident at the time, it has since gained significant attention due to its controversial nature. It turns out that during one of these raids conducted by Hegseth’s forces, they discovered several individuals on boats whom they suspected of drug trafficking. In accordance with the law, one of these boats was attacked, leading to multiple fatalities. However, after the initial attack, two individuals were still alive, prompting the forces to strike the boat a second time. This second strike, unlike the first, was executed unlawfully. This has become a topic of criticism because if Hegseth was responsible for the order, he may have committed a war crime and should face legal repercussions.
Since it was revealed that Pete Hegseth could be prosecuted for his actions in the Caribbean Sea during September, there has been a lot of blame-shifting. When asked to comment on potential investigations into the matter, Donald Trump took on the role of Hegseth’s spokesperson, informing the media that he had denied giving the orders for a second strike on the vessel. Trump also mentioned that he would be looking into the situation and stated that if he were in Hegseth’s position, he wouldn’t have ordered a second strike. Many interpreted Trump’s remarks during this exchange as an attempt to distance himself from Hegseth, but according to more recent updates from the White House, it seems the President has someone else in mind to blame.
In a recent press briefing at the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that while Pete Hegseth had authorized the strikes on the Venezuelan boats, he did not order to “kill everybody” as suggested by the Washington Post report that first highlighted the incident. She further explained that Hegseth had given Admiral Bradley the go-ahead to carry out the strikes, adding that he operated “well within his authority and the law” to ensure that America’s threats were being addressed.
Many viewed Leavitt’s remarks as an attempt to deflect blame from Pete Hegseth and to throw Bradley and the military under the bus, including Adam Kinzinger, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticise the Trump administration.
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