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President Donald Trump on Sunday defended Secretary of State Pete Hegseth over the controversy he ordered a second strike on a Venezuelan fruit boat, saying he believed Hegseth and would not have supported the next attack.
The exchange came during a gaggle of air raids as reporters pressed Trump on the circumstances of Hegs authorizing a second strike that allegedly killed two men and wounded them after a suspected drug-trafficking attack.
Trump also said that Shegseth was prohibited from giving such an order. He added that he was aware of the allegations but insisted that Hegseth told him that the claim was untrue and that he accepted that explanation without question.
“He said he didn’t say that, and I believe him 100%,” Trump said.
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President Donald Trump defended Secretary of State Pete Hegseth Adforts and ordered a second strike against a suspected narcotic ship in the Caribbean on September 2, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Reporters asked Trump if he would have authorized a second strike if Hegseth had ordered it, dispatched him and distanced himself from the allegations while insisting he trusted his secretary of war.
Trump said he planned to seek more information about the reported incident but reiterated that the Hegseths had confirmed that nothing had happened.
“No, I wouldn’t want that. Not a second strike,” Trump said.
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth answers a question during a tour of criminal carcells in the White House dining room, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Evan vucci / ap)
Still, he praised the broader crackdown on drug-trafficking boats, saying the strikes have greatly reduced the flow of narcotics to the US by sea in recent months.
Trump argues that the ships posed a deadly threat and that he has put in place duties as necessary to protect Americans, calling for a trip.
“You can see the boats,” he said. “You can see drugs on boats and each boat is responsible for killing 25,000 Americans.”
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Video Fook showing the ship shortly before it was destroyed. (@realdoldonaldstrump on social reality)
Trump came to Hegseth’s defense after reports from outlets such as the Washington Post and CNN said US Heart ordered a second strike on the drug bin on September 2 after two attacks left two survivors.
According to the Washington Post, the commander who oversaw the operation told his colleagues on the secure phone that the survivors were helpful and were still in contact with the second strike to comply with what he said.
“As usual, fake news brings fabricated, inflammatory and disrespectful reporting to our incredible heroes who fight to protect the country,” said Hegsseth on 20 Friday.
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“As we have said from the beginning and in all statements, these high-performance incidents are specifically intended to be ‘lethal, kinetic strikes,'” the strikes continued. “The purpose used is to stop the deadly drugs, destroy the boats of narco-terrorists who kill the American people. Every smuggler We kill a terrorist organization.”
FOX News Digital’s Greg Norman and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
