Washington — President Trump on Monday walked back the support he previously voiced for releasing any video of a second strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat in early September, insisting he never said he supported making the video public, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to commit to releasing the Pentagon’s footage.
Last week, the president told reporters he didn’t know what video existed of the subsequent strike, “but whatever they have, we’d certainly release, no problem.” On Saturday, Hegseth declined to say whether the Pentagon would release video of the Sept. 2 operation, which allegedly included a follow-up strike to kill two people who survived the initial attack on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean. Hegseth said they “have to be very responsible about reviewing” anything they might release.
On Monday, Mr. Trump said he never voiced support for releasing the video, despite his on-camera comments five days earlier. Instead, the president said the decision is up to Hegseth.
During an event in the Cabinet Room, a reporter began her question with, “Mr. President, you said you would have ‘no problem’ with releasing the full video of that strike on Sept. 2 off the coast of Venezuela. Secretary Hegseth now says —”
“I didn’t say that,” the president interjected. “That’s — you said that, I didn’t say that.”
“Whatever Pete Hegseth wants to do is okay with me,” the president added.
The strikes on alleged drug-carrying vessels have become an increasing concern of Congress. But the question of survivors in the Sept. 2 boat attack has deepened those concerns. The White House confirmed last week that the military carried out a second strike but asserted that the move was legal.
Mr. Trump posted a 29-second video of the initial strike on Truth Social on Sept. 2, but has not released a full video that includes the follow-up strike. Several members of Congress were shown a full video during a closed-door briefing last week, but they offered split reactions, with Democrats calling the strike on survivors unjustified while Republicans defended it.
Since Sept. 2, the U.S. has carried out more than 20 other strikes, killing more than 80 people as a part of the administration’s war on drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
Congress is trying to withhold part of Hegseth’s travel budget until the Pentagon gives Congress unedited footage of the strikes through a provision of a compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The legislation is the annual defense policy bill.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-boat-strike-video-walks-back-hegseth/
