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President Donald Trump on Sunday defended Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over allegations he ordered a second strike on a Venezuelan drug boat, saying he believes Hegseth’s denial and would not have supported a follow-up attack if it happened.
The exchange came during a gaggle aboard Air Force One as reporters pressed Trump on claims that Hegseth authorized a second strike that allegedly killed two wounded men after an earlier attack on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel.
Trump repeatedly said Hegseth denied giving such an order. He added that he was aware of the allegation but stressed that Hegseth told him the claim was untrue and that he accepted that explanation without hesitation.
“He said he did not say that, and I believe him 100%,” Trump said.
HEGSETH SHARED DETAILS OF YEMEN STRIKES IN SECOND SIGNAL CHAT: REPORT
President Donald Trump defended Secretary of War Pete Hegseth amid allegations he ordered a second strike on an alleged narcotics vessel in the Caribbean on Sept. 2, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Reporters asked Trump whether he would have approved a second strike if Hegseth had ordered one, prompting him to again distance himself from the allegation while stressing that he trusted his secretary of war.
Trump said he planned to seek additional information about the reported incident but reiterated that Hegseth assured him nothing improper happened.
“No, I wouldn’t have wanted that. Not a second strike,” Trump said.
DEM SEN JOHN FETTERMAN BACKS USE OF MILITARY FORCE TO COMBAT DRUG TRAFFICKING INTO US
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth answers a question from a reporter during a roundtable on criminal cartels in the State Dining Room of the White House, on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Evan Vucci/AP)
Still, he praised the wider campaign targeting drug-smuggling boats, saying the strikes had sharply reduced the flow of narcotics into the U.S. by sea in recent months.
Trump argued the vessels…
