GOP Heavyweight Breaks Ranks Over Recent ‘Kill’ Orders

Throughout the holiday weekend, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth found himself under fire, with the Washington Post reporting that the “Secretary of War” had ordered to kill everyone aboard in one of the recent boat strikes in the Caribbean.

“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a spoken directive, according to two people with direct knowledge of the operation,” the Post said. “‘The order was to kill everybody,’ one of them said.”

“Hegseth’s order, which has not been previously reported, adds another dimension to the campaign against suspected drug traffickers. Some current and former U.S. officials and law-of-war experts have said that the Pentagon’s lethal campaign — which has killed more than 80 people to date — is unlawful and may expose those most directly involved to future prosecution,” the Post story continued.

Lawmakers warn Hegseth may have committed war crimes following second-strike report https://t.co/xGBIb00KLk

— POLITICO (@politico) November 30, 2025

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And now, Hegseth is also under fire from members of Congress, including at least one powerful Republican.

“If that reporting is true, it’s a clear violation of the DOD’s own laws of war, as well as international laws about the way you treat people who are in that circumstance. And so this rises to the level of a war crime if it’s true,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said on CBS’ Face the Nation this weekend.

Per The Daily Beast, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has released a joint statement with the committee’s leading Democrat, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), promising “vigorous oversight.”

News, a very big deal: Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) issues statement with/ top SASC Dem Jack Reed vowing “vigorous oversight” of Hegseth’s “kill them all” order — after Hegseth dismissed WaPo story earlier as “fake news.” https://t.co/AQNHWalkHS pic.twitter.com/wxIlDQM1gw

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) November 29, 2025

“The committee is aware of recent news reports—and the Department of Defense’s initial response—regarding alleged follow-on strikes on suspected narcotics vessels in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” the statement said.

“The Committee has directed inquiries to the Department, and we will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances.”

Contrary to various social media posts, this does not mean Hegseth is himself “under investigation,” or looking at any imminent criminal jeopardy. But it does show that a Republican-led Senate committee, at least in word, is taking the situation seriously.

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