Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth are throwing one man under the bus for the "double tap" order on a purported drug transport ship, according to a reporter Saturday.
MS NOW reporter Jake Traylor reported over the weekend about how Trump and Hegseth have both morphed their responses to the recent scandal in ways that point the finger at Admiral Frank M. "Mitch" Bradley, who the White House now says ordered the second strike, while claiming it was "well within his authority."
Traylor said he wanted to focus on Bradley "because it's notable that he's the one on the Hill defending essentially this decision that was made by the Department of Defense and all in concurrence with the White House, because earlier, back in September, it was Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth who said that he was the one that administered the strike. He was in the room for it. He said that he watched it live."
But, Traylor noted, "Once it became confirmed that there was a second strike that caused so much controversy, then he backed off, saying he wasn't there for the second strike. He had other things to go to."
And Trump has done the same, according to the reporter.
"And Trump has shifted messaging, too. Earlier this week, Trump was asked if there was a second strike, would that be a problem? He said he would not have wanted to see a second strike. Then it is confirmed that that happened. Now Trump is saying, oh, it was one singular attack. It wasn't multiple different strikes," Traylor said. "Both Hegseth and Trump have then, since the confirmation of that second strike on the boat, have shifted the blame to admiral Bradley."
He continued:
"And now we're seeing him kind of being the one taking the blame, going on the Hill and having to defend the decision."
