Karoline Leavitt Outright Denies Hegseth Ordered Second Drug Boat Strike — And Reveals Who Did

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed Monday that it was not Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who gave the controversial second-strike order on a Venezuelan vessel in September — before revealing who did.

Hegseth has been under fire from a bipartisan group of lawmakers questioning whether the second strike on survivors of the first strike constituted a war crime.

Leavitt read a statement when asked to clarify about the order:

President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have made it clear that presidentially-designated narco terrorist groups are subject to lethal targeting in accordance with the laws of war. With respect to the strikes in question on September 2nd, Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes. Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.

Leavitt added a reminder to the American public as to why the strikes are taking place.

“Because this administration has designated these narco terrorist as a foreign terrorist organizations, the president has a right to take them out if they are threatening the United States of America, and if they are bringing illegal narcotics that are killing our citizens at a record rate — which is what they are doing,” Leavitt said.

“Under the previous administration, there was enough fentanyl traffic into our country to kill every American man, woman, and child many times over,” Leavitt claimed. “That is why you have seen a drastic difference in this administration’s policy with respect to the last. It is one of the many reasons the American public reelected this president and support this secretary of War in conducting these strikes.”

CBS News reporter Gabe Gutierrez asked for clarification, “Admiral Bradley was the one that gave an order for a second strike?” to which Leavitt responded, “And he was well within his authority to do so.”

Admiral Frank Bradley has served as commander of the United States Special Operations Command since October 3.

Watch the clip above via Fox News.