Hegseth, beside sleepy Trump, backtracks on boasts about boat strike amid war crimes talk

Alleged War Crime & Cover-Up - A US strike in the Caribbean and the Pacific killed over 80 people, with a spoken directive to "kill everybody" [1] - After the initial strike, a second strike was ordered on survivors clinging to the wreckage, potentially constituting a war crime [2][3] - Secretary of Defense Hegsth initially claimed to have watched the entire operation live and knew exactly who was in the boat [4][5] - Hegsth later stated he only watched the first strike and left before the "sensitive site exploitation" occurred, citing "fog of war" [6] - Senator Warner suggests the administration is undermining the military and intelligence community [21] Political Fallout & Accountability - Trump claimed he was unaware of the second strike and relies on Hegsth [9] - Senator Warner criticizes the administration's actions as "sloppiness" and "chaos" [14] - Senator Warner plans to meet with Admiral Bradley to investigate the incident [12] - Senator Warner has called for Hegsth's resignation, citing a lack of respect from the military [22] Impact on America's Reputation - The incident is seen as potentially damaging to America's reputation and moral standing in the world [16][18][21] - Concerns are raised about putting American soldiers in a position where they could violate international law [13]