Trump administration briefed Republicans on Wednesday about US military strikes on suspected drug boats with out telling Democratic members in regards to the briefing, based on a top Senate Democrat and a supply with direct information of the incident.
Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner slammed the Trump administration for chopping out Democratic lawmakers Wednesday, calling the transfer “a partisan stunt” that “is a slap in the face to Congress’ war powers responsibilities and to the men and women who serve this country.”
During the briefing, administration officers confirmed the Republicans a labeled Justice Department OLC memo outlining the administration’s authorized justification for the strikes, which NCS first reported on earlier this month.
In a assertion, Warner stated, “shutting Democrats out of a briefing on U.S. military strikes and withholding the legal justification for those strikes from half the Senate is indefensible and dangerous.”
“Decisions about the use of American military force are not campaign strategy sessions, and they are not the private property of one political party,” he stated. “For any administration to treat them that way erodes our national security and flies in the face of Congress’ constitutional obligation to oversee matters of war and peace.”
“It also sets a reckless and deeply troubling precedent,” the Virginia Democrat continued, including that the administration ought to instantly present Democrats the identical briefing and the OLC opinion.
NCS has reached out to the White House for remark.
Warner’s feedback come because the Trump administration accelerates its assaults towards boats that they allege are concerned in drug trafficking.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated on Wednesday that the US military performed one other strike towards a vessel within the Pacific Ocean that day, killing 4 individuals.
“This vessel, like all the others, was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” Hegseth stated in a publish on X.
The motion marks the 14th identified US military strike on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel. The operations have killed 61 individuals aboard 15 complete boats.
The Trump administration instructed NCS earlier this week that it has supplied seven separate classified briefings on US military strikes on alleged drug boats.
But some lawmakers have stated they haven’t acquired the data they need. One Democratic Senate aide instructed NCS that the administration “appears to be counting the same briefing given multiple times to certain staff or members (including in small groups.) So seven briefings is highly misleading.”
House Armed Services Committee members are anticipated to get a labeled briefing from Pentagon officers on Thursday in regards to the latest US military strikes on boats allegedly concerned in drug trafficking, two sources instructed NCS earlier Wednesday.