Tom Cotton Says He’s Fine With Releasing Drug Boat Strike Video: “Nothing Remarkable”
Senator Tom Cotton said Sunday he has “no problem” with the release of footage showing a controversial U.S. military strike on a drug-smuggling vessel — the same video at the center of Democratic accusations that War Secretary Pete Hegseth committed a war crime.
Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, the Arkansas Republican defended the legality of the September strike and dismissed claims that it violated the rules of war. Democrats have alleged that a second missile was launched after the boat was already disabled and two men were seen clinging to wreckage, citing an anonymously sourced Washington Post report that claimed Hegseth had ordered the military to “kill them all.”
“I personally don’t have any problem with releasing the footage,” Cotton said. “It’s not gruesome. I didn’t find it distressing or disturbing. It looks like any number of dozens of strikes we’ve seen on Jeeps and pickup trucks in the Middle East over the years.”
Cotton emphasized that, in his view, there was nothing inappropriate about the strike and that the video wouldn’t shock the public. However, he acknowledged the Pentagon may have legitimate concerns about revealing “sources and methods” or giving away tactical information about how narcoterrorists operate in the region.
Footage at the Center of Heated Debate
The strike in question occurred in September in the Pacific Ocean, when U.S. forces targeted a vessel believed to be smuggling fentanyl or other illicit narcotics. While the first missile damaged the boat and caused it to capsize, the military later ordered a second strike to fully destroy the vessel.
Democrats have argued that the second strike could amount to a war crime, particularly if it endangered survivors in the water. Hegseth has denied issuing any order akin to “kill them all,” and military officials, including Navy Admiral Mitch Bradley, have testified under oath that no such directive was given.
Bradley told lawmakers that Hegseth left the command center after the first strike and that it was Bradley himself who assessed the boat remained a threat and authorized a second missile.
Cotton and Republicans Stand Firm
Cotton and other Senate Republicans have viewed the Democratic allegations as politically motivated, part of a broader campaign to undermine the Trump administration’s aggressive drug-interdiction operations.
“The vessel, though capsized, still posed a threat,” Cotton said. “These drug boats are known to coordinate with other vessels. That boat could have called for reinforcements or salvaged narcotics.”
Senator Rand Paul has been the lone GOP voice raising concerns, calling on Hegseth to declassify and release the video to let the American people judge for themselves. Paul described the footage as showing “distressed, shipwrecked or incapacitated people,” though he stopped short of calling it a war crime.
Hegseth: “Fog of War” and No Visual of Survivors
Secretary Hegseth has maintained he had no visual confirmation of survivors at the time of the second strike, describing the scene as engulfed in smoke and fire. “This is called the fog of war,” he said during a recent Cabinet meeting, reiterating that no illegal order was given.
The Pentagon has not yet made a final decision on whether to declassify the footage. The Trump administration continues to defend its campaign against what it calls “narco-terrorist” networks, which has involved the destruction of at least 23 vessels since September, with 87 suspected traffickers killed.
Democrats, however, appear committed to keeping the pressure on Hegseth — and may demand the full release of the video before the end of the year.