Anderson Cooper 360 Hegseth Faces Growing Pressure With Boat Strikes Under Scrutiny
Dec 2, 2025
David Sanger, White House and National Security correspondent for The New York Times, joins to unravel the complexities of recent U.S. military actions in Venezuela. Tensions rise as lawmakers from both parties call for investigations into alleged war crimes following controversial strikes. Sanger also discusses Jared Kushner's diplomatic mission to Moscow, contemplating the challenging landscape for peace in Ukraine, and the implications of U.S. influence in these international negotiations.
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Second Strike Sparks War Crime Questions
- The Sept. 2 strike included a second hit after survivors were found, raising legal and ethical alarms.
- Experts and lawmakers called this action potentially a war crime needing investigation.
Conflicting Accounts Over Who Ordered It
- Reporting said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly said "kill everybody" when the mission was greenlit.
- The White House later shifted responsibility to Admiral Mitch Bradley while Hegseth defended the admiral.
Operation Southern Spear's Scale And Rationale
- The Pentagon amassed ships and 15,000 troops for Operation Southern Spear to combat narco-terrorism.
- Hegseth framed the mission as removing narco-terrorists and protecting the homeland from deadly drugs.
