WASHINGTON, DC – This week, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s resignation after reports that he gave a directive to “kill everybody” on boats in the Caribbean, leading to a second strike that killed survivors who were incapacitated, which may legally be considered murder or a war crime.
Last month, Senator Rosen joined her Senate Armed Services Committee Colleagues in requesting that Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declassify and publicly release the written opinion of the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) on the Trump Administration’s lethal airstrikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
HuffPost: Dem Senator Calls On Pete Hegseth To Resign Over Boat Strikes
By Jennifer Bendery
- Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should “resign immediately” after a bombshell report that he gave a directive to “kill everybody” in a Sept. 2 strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, which led to a second strike to kill survivors of the first strike.
- “If the reports are true, Pete Hegseth likely committed a war crime,” Rosen, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a Monday statement.
- She joined other Democrats on the committee last month in asking Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi to declassify and release the Justice Department’s legal justification for the Trump administration’s air strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
- “It’s deeply shameful that the Secretary of Defense would violate the laws of armed conflict and put our brave servicemembers in this position,” Rosen said Monday. “He should resign immediately.”
Las Vegas Sun: Nevada’s Rosen: Hegseth ‘likely committed a war crime’ with Venezuela strikes
By Kyle Chouinard
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “likely committed a war crime” by issuing an order that led to a secondary strike in September on boats allegedly carrying drugs off the coast of Venezuela, U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said in a news release today.
- Hegseth gave a directive to “kill everybody,” the Washington Post reported Friday.
- Acting on Hegseth’s order, a special operations commander approved a secondary strike — even after seeing two men clinging to the “smoldering wreck” of their boat minutes after the initial attack, according to the outlet.
- “It’s deeply shameful that the Secretary of Defense would violate the laws of armed conflict and put our brave servicemembers in this position,” Rosen, who serves on the Senate Armed Forces Committee, wrote in a statement Monday. “He should resign immediately.”
Nevada Independent: Rosen, Cortez Masto join calls for Defense Secretary Hegseth to resign over boat strike
By Mini Racker
- Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) is calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s resignation, joining a chorus of congressional representatives who have rebuked his reported order that killed survivors of a military strike.
- “If the reports are true, Pete Hegseth likely committed a war crime when he gave an illegal order that led to the killing of incapacitated survivors of the U.S. strike in the Caribbean,” Rosen, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who opposed Hegseth’s nomination, wrote in a Monday press release. “He should resign immediately.”
- Lawmakers from both parties said Sunday they support congressional reviews of U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, citing a published report that Hegseth issued a verbal order for all crew members to be killed as part of a Sept. 2 attack.
- According to The Washington Post, two survivors clung to the burning boat after the initial attack, and a Special Operations commander ordered another strike to comply with Hegseth, killing the pair. The administration is facing criticism for allegedly refusing to spare those who could not defend themselves, also known as giving “no quarter,” which the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court defines as a war crime.
KTVN Reno: Nevada Senator reacts to reported Caribbean strike order, calls for Hegseth’s resignation
By Aamer Madhani
- Nevada Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued one of the strongest responses yet, calling for Hegseth’s resignation.
- “If the reports are true, Pete Hegseth likely committed a war crime when he gave an illegal order that led to the killing of incapacitated survivors of the U.S. strike in the Caribbean,” Rosen said. “The American people deserve to know exactly what happened, which is why I’m proud to join colleagues on both sides of the aisle in calling for a thorough investigation and full transparency with Congress. It’s deeply shameful that the Secretary of Defense would violate the laws of armed conflict and put our brave servicemembers in this position. He should resign immediately.”
- Rosen also noted that last week she joined other members of the Senate Armed Services Committee in requesting that Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary Hegseth declassify and publicly release the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel’s written opinion on the Trump administration’s lethal airstrikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Nevada Current: Rosen: Hegseth ‘should resign immediately’
By Ashley Murray
- Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee that is investigating the Washington Post report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave an order to kill survivors of a U.S. strike on boats in the Caribbean.
- “If the reports are true, Pete Hegseth likely committed a war crime when he gave an illegal order that led to the killing of incapacitated survivors of the U.S. strike in the Caribbean,” Rosen said in statement issued Monday. “The American people deserve to know exactly what happened, which is why I’m proud to join colleagues on both sides of the aisle in calling for a thorough investigation and full transparency with Congress. It’s deeply shameful that the Secretary of Defense would violate the laws of armed conflict and put our brave servicemembers in this position. He should resign immediately.”
KRNV Reno: Sen. Rosen calls for Sec Def. Hegseth’s resignation amid reports of unlawful strike order
- Senator Jacky Rosen is weighing in after new reports allege Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave an unlawful directive during U.S. military operations in the Caribbean.
- Rosen, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a statement Tuesday responding to claims that Hegseth ordered troops to “kill everybody” on boats in the region. Those reports also allege a second strike killed survivors who were already incapacitated, raising questions about potential violations of the laws of war.
- In her statement, Rosen said that if the allegations are accurate, Hegseth “likely committed a war crime” and should step down. She also said the public deserves transparency about what occurred and noted she’s joining senators from both parties in calling for a full investigation.
- Rosen and other Armed Services Committee members recently asked Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary Hegseth to declassify and release the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel’s written opinion on the administration’s lethal airstrikes in both the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific. The request aims to clarify the legal framework behind those operations as scrutiny intensifies.
Roll Call: Takeaways: Hegseth doubles down on drug boat strikes during Cabinet meeting
By John Bennett
- Faced with a burgeoning military scandal, President Donald Trump on Tuesday turned to his familiar strategy of trying to deflect and distract as he feels bipartisan heat from Congress.
- His Defense secretary, meanwhile, opted to go full hawk.
- “I ask questions from very intelligent lunatics, you people. I give the right answers. There’s never a scandal. There’s never a problem,” Trump told reporters, verbally papering over a number of controversies during his first 10 months back in office. “I give you answers and solve your little problems. You go back and you can’t find anything, but you do, you do stories.”
- Senate Armed Services Committee member Jacky Rosen, in a statement Monday, said Hegseth should give up his seat beside Trump in the White House’s Cabinet Room.
MS NOW: Rosen Calls on Hegseth to Resign
Anchor: “Pete Hegseth, [allegedly saying] ‘kill them all,’ if he said that, that is clearly murder. Or, if we’re at war, it’s illegal. And if we’re not at war, then it’s murder. And he needs to resign. If they strike Venezuela, we know we’re ready to put a War Powers resolution together in a bipartisan way to stop them. And we’re going to find every tool in the toolbox to stop this administration from going rogue and starting World War III.”
Crooked Media’s What a Day Podcast: Hegseth Faces Calls to Resign After Ordering Strike
Anchor: “It’s a war crime on one side and its murder on the other. So either way it’s not good. And this is why he should resign, because he doesn’t have the demeanor, he doesn’t have the character, he doesn’t have the leadership skills, and is throwing everybody under the bus. Every day his story changes.”
KSNV Las Vegas: After Caribbean Strike Report, Rosen Calls on Hegseth to Resign
Anchor: “Nevada Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen among several lawmakers calling for defense secretary Pete Hegseth to resign. A September 2nd attack is under scrutiny after the Pentagon launched two strikes on a boat they claimed carried illegal drugs. The Washington Post reported that sources say secretary Hegseth gave the order to kill all on board crew members.
KRXI Reno: Rosen Speaks out About Caribbean Strike Report
Anchor: “Senator Jacky Rosen is speaking out about the boat strikes in the Caribbean, calling for defense secretary Pete Hegseth’s resignation. This coming, of course, after Senator Rosen joined her Senate Armed Services Committee colleagues requesting that Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi declassify and publicly release the written opinion of the department of justice’s office of legal counsel on the Trump administration’s legal lethal airstrikes in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific ocean. Rosen says if the reports of Hegseth giving direct orders to ‘kill everyone’ on the boats in the Caribbean are true, he likely committed a war crime.”
KOLO Reno: Rosen Calling for Hegseth Resignation Amid Report on Caribbean Strike
Anchor: “Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee is calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to step down amid reports he committed war crimes by authorizing a second attack on a boat already hit in the Caribbean. Rosen saying in part– if the reports are true he gave an illegal order that led to the killing of incapacitated survivors.”
Telemundo Las Vegas: Rosen: Pete Hegseth Probablemente Cometió un Crimen de Guerra
Anchor: “En contraste, la Senadora por Nevada Jacky Rosen, emitió una declaración mucho más fuerte, donde señaló que el secretario Pete Hegseth violó las leyes de la guerra en los ataques a estas embarcaciones y pidió directamente su renuncia. Si los informes son ciertos, Pete Hegseth probablemente cometió un crimen de guerra al dar una orden ilegal que resultó en la muerte de sobrevivientes incapacitados del ataque estadounidense en el caribe.
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