‘Lying to You’: GOP Senators Torch Dem Narrative After Closed-Door Meeting on Narco-Terrorist Strikes
CREDIT: U.S. Coast Guard photo
Posted For:Rotorblade
Republican senators sharply criticized Democrats following a closed-door Senate briefing on U.S. military strikes against drug-trafficking boats, accusing them of spreading false claims about the operation and the conduct of senior military leadership.
The Senate Armed Services Committee received a classified briefing Wednesday from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding a September 2, 2025, strike on a narco-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean. The operation was carried out under the authority of U.S. Special Operations Command, led by Admiral Frank M. Bradley.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) defended Bradley and rejected Democratic accusations that the strike amounted to misconduct or a war crime.
“I was just in the SCIF, I saw the video of the September 2nd narco boat strike,” Schmitt said. “The Democrats ought to be ashamed of themselves for trying to slander Admiral Bradley, who was executing a lawful order.”
Schmitt said the individuals on the boat attempted to continue their mission after the initial strike by trying to right the vessel and reconnect with other drug-trafficking networks.
“The men on the boat were trying to continue their mission, and that’s the truth,” he said. “This all started when Democrats and the Washington Post falsely claimed there was a ‘kill everybody’ order. That was false and has been debunked, even by the New York Times.”
Schmitt added that he reviewed more than forty legal memoranda outlining the justification for the strike.
“In this instance, the boat and the people on it were sunk, and it was 100 percent legally justified,” he said. “If any Democrat comes out and questions that, they’re lying to you.”
The Missouri senator accused Democrats of attacking military leadership because of political opposition to Secretary Hegseth, President Donald Trump, and the administration’s policies.
“They are willing to throw service members and highly decorated military leaders under the bus and even encourage people to break the chain of command because they don’t like President Trump,” Schmitt said.
Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) also pushed back on the criticism, noting that during President Barack Obama’s administration, the U.S. conducted hundreds of strikes against terrorist targets overseas.
Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO): “I just was in the SCIF, I saw the video [of the September 2nd narco boat strike] and I think the Democrats ought to be ashamed of themselves by trying to slander Admiral Bradley, who was executing a lawful order. The men on the boat were trying to… pic.twitter.com/oByKOAhIkH
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) December 17, 2025
“Does anybody doubt these are terrorist organizations?” Mullin asked. “What’s the difference between Obama attacking terrorist organizations in the Middle East and us targeting the same kind of organizations that are poisoning our streets right now?”
Mullin said drug cartels should be treated as terrorist organizations and argued that cartel activity has killed more Americans in recent years than U.S. combat losses during the Vietnam War.
Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) offered a blunt assessment of the operation.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin speaks to reporters: “Does anybody doubt that these are terrorist organizations?… So what’s the difference between Obama attacking these individuals when they were deemed terrorist organizations in the Middle East vs. the ones that are here right now… pic.twitter.com/Oi4j4tgZnk
— One America News (@OANN) December 16, 2025
“It’s legal. It’s effective. Period,” Kennedy said. “These military strikes against narco-terrorists transporting drugs toward the United States are legal, and drug traffic is way down.”
He added that the intelligence supporting the strikes was highly reliable and that safeguards were in place throughout the process.
“There are checks and balances at every stage to make sure innocent people are not harmed,” Kennedy said.
Despite Republican assurances, Democratic criticism of the operation is expected to continue, particularly regarding the role of Admiral Bradley and the scope of military authority in anti-drug operations.
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