Americans who love this country and respect our armed forces should be heartened that top military leaders briefed Congress and testified there was no standing order to “kill everyone” aboard the suspected drug-smuggling vessel — a claim that sent the usual suspects into a frenzy. The facts, as presented to lawmakers behind closed doors, are finally beginning to cut through the sensational headlines, and that matters for the reputation of the men and women we send into harm’s way.
We should also remember how this controversy began: an aggressive campaign to choke off the flow of deadly narcotics and armed trafficking at sea led to a September strike that was followed by a second hit which tragically killed two survivors clinging to wreckage. The Washington Post’s explosive account that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered his team to “kill everybody” set off a media stampede, but leaks and unnamed-source scoops are not the same as the evidence shown to Congress.
Conservative patriots can be proud that Republican leaders and the president pushed back and demanded facts before fanning the flames of hysteria. Senators and representatives from both sides were briefed by Adm. Frank Bradley and Gen. Dan Caine, and several GOP lawmakers publicly defended the notion that the chain of command acted under a legitimate counter-narcotics mission rather than a bloodthirsty edict. This country cannot afford to kneecap our military’s ability to go after cartels with one hand tied behind their backs.
That said, law-and-order conservatives must insist on accountability and clarity — not performative outrage. The Trump administration’s decision to take the fight to narco-traffickers at sea is rooted in a legitimate mission to stop fentanyl and cartel violence from washing up on American soil, and critics who rush to label every lethal action a war crime are playing politics with our national security. We can both demand transparency and refuse to let left-wing media narratives undermine efforts to protect American families.
There is a place for congressional oversight, but it must not be an exercise in grandstanding designed to hobble commanders in the field or to punish officials for pursuing a hardline stance against drug networks. Admiral Bradley’s statements to lawmakers that there was no explicit “kill everyone” order deserve to be weighed carefully alongside the video footage and classified context shown during the briefings. If mistakes were made, fix them; if policies are sound, back the mission and our troops.
At a time when poison crosses our southern approaches and cartels operate like shadow armies, Americans should stand with leaders who act decisively to defend the homeland while demanding honest, fair reviews of operations when questions arise. Don’t let sensational headlines distract from the real enemy: violent drug networks and the corruption that enables them. We must support our military, insist on accountability, and keep fighting to secure our borders and protect our communities from the scourge of illicit narcotics.
