House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Tuesday pushed back against claims that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s orders for lethal strikes on a suspected narco-smuggling vessel amounted to a war crime, urging lawmakers and the public not to jump to conclusions before all facts are known. Johnson also reminded reporters that the use of lethal force against foreign threats is far from unprecedented — pointing directly to former President Barack Obama’s extensive drone-strike operations.
Johnson was asked about a Washington Post report claiming Hegseth had issued an order to “kill everybody” aboard a suspected drug-running boat targeted in the Caribbean in September. The report also claimed a second strike killed two survivors clinging to the wreckage. The New York Times later reported that Hegseth did not specifically direct a second strike. Some lawmakers — including several Democrats — have gone so far as to suggest the follow-up strike could constitute a war crime.
Johnson would not take the bait.
“I’m not going to prejudge any of that,” Johnson said, adding that Congress would hold hearings and gather testimony before making any determinations. He emphasized that lawmakers must proceed methodically: “I think it’s very important for everybody to reserve judgment and not leap to conclusions until you have all the facts.”
The Speaker then shifted the conversation to remind the press that lethal strikes against hostile actors have a long track record — particularly under the Obama administration.
“I will say that, you know, it’s not an unprecedented thing,” Johnson noted. “Under Barack Obama, he had — I think there were 550 drone strikes on people who were targeted as enemies of the country, and nobody ever questioned it.”
While critics of Obama did raise serious concerns about civilian casualties and oversight, Johnson’s point was clear: Congress did not treat those strikes with the same level of hysteria now being directed at the Trump administration. He added that “secondary strikes are not unusual” in military operations. “It has to happen if a mission is going to be completed,” Johnson said.
The Trump administration has been unequivocal in its justification for the September 2 operation, saying the strike was lawful, conducted in international waters, and designed to eliminate narco-terrorist threats bringing deadly drugs toward the United States. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has repeatedly emphasized that these missions fall within the authorized use of force against designated foreign terrorist organizations.
Johnson stressed that oversight will occur through the normal congressional process, but he warned against politicizing military actions taken to protect Americans. “This is something Congress will look at, and we’ll do that in the regular process and order.”
For now, the Speaker is making it clear: while investigations will proceed, he is not willing to join Democrats in labeling battlefield decisions as war crimes — especially when prior administrations engaged in similar tactics without facing the same political uproar.
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