Trump War Sec Hegseth Bragged on Fox Hours After No Survivors Boat Strike — ‘I Watched It Live’

Trump Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth bragged on Fox News that he watched, in real time, the controversial boat strike that he is now distancing himself from after the revelation that two survivors were subsequently killed.

President Donald Trump has waged a campaign of aerial bombardment against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean for months, killing dozens of people in at least 21 strikes that we know of. The campaign has been criticized over the legality of the strikes — and that was before the revelation that survivors of one strike were ordered to be killed.

Hegseth was blamed for giving the order in initial reporting, but has since pointed the finger at Admiral Frank M. Bradley — while claiming to fully support him.

“Let’s make one thing crystal clear: Admiral Mitch Bradley 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,” Hegseth wrote on X/Twitter.

But Hegseth sounded a lot more hands-on when he talked about the strike less than 24 hours after Trump posted video of the attack.

On the Sept. 3, 2025  edition of Fox & Friends, Hegseth bragged about having watched the strike “live,” and went on to say “I can’t disclose precisely how this went down” but “it was precision”:

AINSLEY EARHARDT: So the president is sending a message to other cartels, right?

SEC. PETE HEGSETH: A very clear one. I can tell you that was definitely not artificial intelligence. I– I watched it live!

We knew exactly who was in that boat. We knew exactly what they were doing, and we knew exactly who they represented.

And that was Tren de Aragua, a narco terrorist organization designated by the United States trying to poison our country with illicit drugs. …

And so you want to try to traffic drugs, it’s a new day. And so those 11 drug traffickers are no longer with us, sending a very clear signal that this is an activity the United States is not going to tolerate in our hemisphere.

LAWRENCE JONES: …Was this a drone attack or was this hellfire from a helo?

SEC. PETE HEGSETH: I’m– I can’t disclose precisely how this went down.

I can tell you it was precision. It was very well understood exactly what assets would be used in order to achieve the effect. So that that’s classified, how it was done.

But you can see publicly a lot of the assets that we have in the region…

And it won’t stop in with just this strike. Anyone else trafficking in those waters who we know is a designated narco-terrorist will will face the same fate.

Watch above via Fox & Friends.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!