Democratic Senator Strongly Suggests She Watched Video of Hegseth’s Alleged ‘Double Tap’ Strike — Then Walks it Back Just 60 Seconds Later

Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, claimed she watched the classified video of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s alleged “double tap” strike on a suspected drug boat — only to walk that claim back one minute later.

Duckworth told host Dana Bash she was disgusted with Hegseth, accusing him of having committed “essentially murder with that double tap strike.”

Bash jumped in, saying “that’s a very strong statement, murder. Does that constitute a war crime?”

Duckworth said yes, she believed it was a “war crime.” She added, “It’s illegal. However you put it, it’s all illegal.”

“Senator, have you seen the video?” Bash then asked her about the September 2 strike.

“I have seen the video, and it is deeply disturbing,”  Duckworth responded.

She then ripped Hegseth for being the “least qualified secretary of defense” in U.S. history, and said he is “very cavalier” about striking what he and President Donald Trump have called “narco-terrorists.”

Before moving on, Bash followed up on Duckworth’s claim she has seen the full video of the attack.

“I just want to make sure that I get this accurate — you have seen the classified video of this particular strike, the first strike, and then the double tap, as it’s known?” Bash asked.

Duckworth contradicted her claim from a moment earlier, saying, “No, I have just seen what’s been available in the media.” She added she has “read the full report, but I have not seen the actual video.”

Their back-and-forth on the matter comes as there have been two weeks worth of headlines surrounding Hegseth and the alleged double tap strike.

Critics of Hegseth and the Trump Administration, like Duckworth, have said Hegseth committed a war crime by ordering a second strike on two survivors, after a suspected drug boat was hit on September 2, killing nine people initially. That controversy stems from a Washington Post report Hegseth ordered troops to “kill everybody” aboard the vessel; Hegseth has denied that report.

The New York Times reported soon after that WaPo’s order of events was incorrect, and that Hegseth’s “order was not a response to surveillance footage showing that at least two people on the boat survived the first blast.” And Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on Thursday that Navy Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley denied WaPo’s report as well.

Watch Duckworth above.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.