Paul demands Hegseth's testimony on Venezuelan boat strike orders to be given 'under oath'

Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, has urged that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appear before Congress and provide testimony under oath concerning the authorization to strike suspected Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessels. Paul, who has previously criticized the Trump administrations approach to using lethal force against these boats, also called for the Pentagon to release the full footage of a September 2 follow-up attack on survivors in the Caribbean Sea.

He should testify under oath about the commands issued, and the video showing shipwrecked or incapacitated individuals on those boats should be available for every American to see, Paul said Thursday. His remarks came after Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Admiral Frank Bradley, who oversaw the September 2 strike on initial survivors, briefed the leaders of Senate and House committees.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York also pressed Hegseth earlier this week to publicly release the tapes and testify about the Caribbean boat attacks. If he refuses to release the footage, obstructs, or conceals the truth, the unavoidable question is: What is Pete Hegseth hiding? What is he keeping from the American people? Does his account not match the facts? Schumer stated on the Senate floor.

Earlier in the week, Paul criticized Hegseth for dismissing a Washington Post report about a follow-up strike that targeted two survivors clinging to the remnants of a destroyed vessel, labeling the story as fake news. The White House subsequently confirmed that a second military strike did occur against the survivors, which fueled Pauls concerns. Senior officials familiar with the situation noted that Hegseth had not explicitly ordered the killing of survivors following the initial missile attack.

Secretary Hegseth claimed he had no knowledge and denied it happened, calling it fake news. Then the next day, the White House confirmed it did happen, Paul told reporters. Either he was lying, or he was unaware of what had occurred.

Paul explained that his comments were in reaction to Hegseths social media posts disparaging The Posts coverage of the follow-up strike as fabricated, inflammatory and derogatory reporting.

Author: Gavin Porter