
CNN Inside Politics Suspect in DC Pipe Bomb Attack Arrested
Dec 4, 2025
Phil Mattingly, a Senior CNN reporter, and Manu Raju, a political reporter, dive into the recent arrest of a suspect linked to a DC pipe bombing case from five years ago. They discuss unsettling footage from a controversial boat strike that raises questions about military targeting policies. The guests analyze the implications of transparency demands surrounding the strike video and explore the political fallout for Secretary Hegseth regarding national security decisions. The conversation wraps up with the shifting dynamics in public health policy concerning vaccines.
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Capitol Hill Sees Troubling Boat Strike Video
- Lawmakers saw a classified briefing about a controversial double-tap boat strike that raised questions about U.S. military targeting.
- Congressman Jim Himes said the video looked like U.S. forces attacking shipwrecked sailors, prompting calls for public release of the footage.
IG Finds Hegseth Shared Classified Material
- The Pentagon IG found Secretary Pete Hegseth risked operational security by sending classified CENTCOM material via Signal on his personal phone.
- The unclassified IG report concluded Hegseth violated multiple DOD policies despite his declassification authority.
Fresh Team Breaks Pipe Bomb Cold Case
- The FBI arrested Brian Cole Jr. in Woodbridge, Virginia, in the pipe bomb case near the Capitol from January 6, 2021, after fresh investigators reexamined evidence.
- New team members and an ATF agent reviewed video, interviews, and data to develop leads that earlier teams could not crack.

