GOP Senator Says Reporting on Hegseth’s Kill Order ‘Shocked Us All’

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

MS NOW congressional reporter Mychael Schnell spoke to Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) on Monday night near the U.S. Capitol and asked the Alaska Republican for her take on reporting alleging that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the military to kill everyone aboard an alleged drug smuggling boat in early September.

Schnell caught up to Murkowski and asked, “Can I ask you about the boat strikes? Well, The Washington Post reporting—your thoughts on that, if you think that they went too far, any concern with that conduct?”

Murkowski replied, “I have—I have spoken out, I think, through my support for the King resolution twice already. So yes, I have concerns, absolutely.”

Schnell followed up, “Can we talk about The Washington Post story in particular? There are some folks who say that Hegseth and the commander who ordered the strike are liable for war crimes. Is that your interpretation?”

Murkowski replied, “I think you’re talking about the second strike.”

“That’s right,” Schnell agreed, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it certainly raises that concern. When you have individuals that are literally in the water, not the threat that they had initially presented, perhaps. So yes, I have expressed the concerns and continue to have them. So thank you.”

Schnell pressed, “War crimes specifically for that act, for the second strike?”

“I think, I think—what we have heard shocked us all. And I think most would say that when you have two individuals that are literally floating in the water, a second order to kill them all is not something that we would consider within the rules of war,” insisted Murkowski.

Hegseth on Monday night appeared to try to shift the blame for the second strike on survivors on the boat to Admiral Mitch Bradley, whom Hegseth pointed to finger at in a social media post and added, he “is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made — on the September 2 mission and all others since.”

Several of Murkowski’s GOP Senate colleagues also raised concerns over the second strike on survivors, but told reporters on Monday they wanted to see further video evidence of the strike and audio of the moment the order was given before weighing in.

Watch the clip above.