Washington Post conservative columnist George Will slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, arguing in a new column that reports of Hegseth's order to kill survivors of one of the Trump administration's boat strikes is something that should "nauseate Americans."
The Post recently reported, citing two sources familiar with the situation, that Hegseth gave the order to "kill everybody" involved in one of the strikes. Hegseth has attacked the report, but has not explicitly denied the claims, Will noted in the column.
"Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seems to be a war criminal," Will wrote. "Without a war. An interesting achievement."
"The killing of the survivors by this moral slum of an administration should nauseate Americans," Will added. "A nation incapable of shame is dangerous, not least to itself."
The Trump administration has bombed nearly two dozen drug boats in the Caribbean and off the coast of Latin American countries like Venezuela. The administration has not asked for Congress's approval in any of the strikes, and has provided scant evidence that the boats were operated by drug smugglers.
President Donald Trump has claimed the drug boats represent a national security threat.
Hegseth was asked about the order during a press gaggle before a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. He said he was not around for the strike that killed survivors, and claimed the admiral who was in charge "made the right decision" regarding the strike, something he “had complete authority to do," the AP reported.
