1 00:00:01,929 --> 00:00:05,429 Mhm Hello everyone . 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,949 Welcome . So good morning and 3 00:00:10,949 --> 00:00:12,893 welcome to the Department of War . 4 00:00:12,893 --> 00:00:14,838 Before we begin , I want to take a 5 00:00:14,838 --> 00:00:16,505 moment to recognize and honor 6 00:00:16,549 --> 00:00:18,382 Specialist Sarah Beckstrom , the 7 00:00:18,382 --> 00:00:20,493 guardsman who was murdered in DC this 8 00:00:20,493 --> 00:00:22,771 past weekend . She is an American hero , 9 00:00:22,771 --> 00:00:24,827 and we will never forget her service 10 00:00:24,827 --> 00:00:27,160 and sacrifice . While we mourn her loss , 11 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:29,271 we will continue to pray for the full 12 00:00:29,271 --> 00:00:31,549 recovery of Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolf , 13 00:00:31,549 --> 00:00:33,549 the other service member critically 14 00:00:33,549 --> 00:00:35,660 injured in this heinous attack . This 15 00:00:35,660 --> 00:00:37,827 attack on our national guardsmen in DC 16 00:00:37,827 --> 00:00:39,771 follows months of Democrat elected 17 00:00:39,771 --> 00:00:42,105 officials demonizing the National Guard , 18 00:00:42,105 --> 00:00:44,049 portraying them as a threat to our 19 00:00:44,049 --> 00:00:45,882 republic , and attempting to sow 20 00:00:45,882 --> 00:00:48,049 discord in their ranks . To name a few 21 00:00:48,049 --> 00:00:50,090 examples , Governor Gavin Newsom 22 00:00:50,090 --> 00:00:51,923 claimed that President Trump was 23 00:00:51,923 --> 00:00:53,923 fabricating emergencies in order to 24 00:00:53,923 --> 00:00:56,090 justify the deployment of the National 25 00:00:56,090 --> 00:00:58,220 Guard in some major cities . Governor 26 00:00:58,220 --> 00:01:00,442 JB Pritzker claimed that the deployment 27 00:01:00,442 --> 00:01:02,498 of the National Guard amounted to an 28 00:01:02,498 --> 00:01:04,720 attack on the American people . Outside 29 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,029 an ice facility in California , Rep 30 00:01:07,029 --> 00:01:08,989 Maxine Waters taunted the troops 31 00:01:08,989 --> 00:01:11,190 standing guard and demanded to know 32 00:01:11,190 --> 00:01:13,246 whether they intended to shoot her . 33 00:01:13,246 --> 00:01:16,069 And of course , the seditious six urged 34 00:01:16,069 --> 00:01:18,180 members of our military to defy their 35 00:01:18,180 --> 00:01:20,347 chain of command in an unprecedented , 36 00:01:20,347 --> 00:01:22,709 treasonous , and shameful conspiracy to 37 00:01:22,709 --> 00:01:25,110 sow distrust and chaos in our armed 38 00:01:25,110 --> 00:01:27,809 forces . This rhetoric insults our 39 00:01:27,809 --> 00:01:29,976 warfighters who put their lives on the 40 00:01:29,976 --> 00:01:32,198 line every day to keep Americans safe , 41 00:01:32,209 --> 00:01:34,209 and it creates an environment where 42 00:01:34,209 --> 00:01:36,209 criminals feel emboldened to commit 43 00:01:36,209 --> 00:01:38,959 violent acts against them . Right now , 44 00:01:39,169 --> 00:01:42,059 over 2200 National Guardsmen from all 45 00:01:42,059 --> 00:01:44,059 across the country are serving as a 46 00:01:44,059 --> 00:01:46,129 part of Joint Task Force DC with an 47 00:01:46,129 --> 00:01:48,830 additional 500 on the way . Each one of 48 00:01:48,830 --> 00:01:50,886 them will continue working to ensure 49 00:01:50,886 --> 00:01:53,108 the safety of all who live , work , and 50 00:01:53,108 --> 00:01:55,219 visit the district . We will not lose 51 00:01:55,219 --> 00:01:57,330 sight of our mission . This targeting 52 00:01:57,330 --> 00:01:59,386 will only embolden our resolve . Our 53 00:01:59,386 --> 00:02:01,497 warriors are strong , and we will not 54 00:02:01,497 --> 00:02:03,497 back down until our capital and our 55 00:02:03,497 --> 00:02:05,386 cities are secure . Defending our 56 00:02:05,386 --> 00:02:07,269 homeland and rescuing America's 57 00:02:07,269 --> 00:02:09,380 greatest cities from endemic violence 58 00:02:09,380 --> 00:02:11,789 is the highest and best use of our 59 00:02:11,789 --> 00:02:14,289 military . I would also like to take a 60 00:02:14,289 --> 00:02:16,511 moment today to welcome all of you here 61 00:02:16,511 --> 00:02:18,345 to the Pentagon briefing room as 62 00:02:18,345 --> 00:02:20,400 official new members of the Pentagon 63 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,567 press corps . We're glad to have you . 64 00:02:22,610 --> 00:02:24,889 Legacy Media chose to self-deport from 65 00:02:24,889 --> 00:02:27,056 this building , and if you look at the 66 00:02:27,056 --> 00:02:29,222 numbers , it's pretty clear why no one 67 00:02:29,222 --> 00:02:31,445 followed them . National trust in these 68 00:02:31,445 --> 00:02:33,556 mainstream media outlets has cratered 69 00:02:33,556 --> 00:02:36,580 to 28% , the lowest ever recorded . The 70 00:02:36,580 --> 00:02:38,469 American people don't trust these 71 00:02:38,469 --> 00:02:40,413 propagandists because they stopped 72 00:02:40,413 --> 00:02:42,580 telling the truth . So we're not going 73 00:02:42,580 --> 00:02:44,636 to beg these old gatekeepers to come 74 00:02:44,636 --> 00:02:46,524 back , and we're not rebuilding a 75 00:02:46,524 --> 00:02:48,524 broken model just to appease them . 76 00:02:48,524 --> 00:02:50,524 Instead , we're welcoming new media 77 00:02:50,524 --> 00:02:52,747 outlets that actually reach Americans , 78 00:02:52,747 --> 00:02:54,969 ask real questions , and don't pursue a 79 00:02:54,969 --> 00:02:57,490 biased agenda . The public has moved on 80 00:02:57,490 --> 00:02:59,434 from the old model and so will the 81 00:02:59,434 --> 00:03:01,546 Pentagon . This is the beginning of a 82 00:03:01,546 --> 00:03:03,601 new era . We look forward to working 83 00:03:03,601 --> 00:03:05,657 with you to keep the American people 84 00:03:05,657 --> 00:03:07,768 informed and to ensure transparency . 85 00:03:07,768 --> 00:03:09,768 In the interest of transparency , I 86 00:03:09,768 --> 00:03:11,601 want to provide an update on the 87 00:03:11,601 --> 00:03:13,712 department's operations against narco 88 00:03:13,712 --> 00:03:15,879 terrorists in the Western Hemisphere . 89 00:03:15,879 --> 00:03:18,101 To date , there have been a total of 21 90 00:03:18,101 --> 00:03:20,157 kinetic strikes on drug boats in our 91 00:03:20,157 --> 00:03:22,157 hemisphere with 82 narco terrorists 92 00:03:22,157 --> 00:03:24,268 killed . Each strike strike conducted 93 00:03:24,268 --> 00:03:26,212 against these designated terrorist 94 00:03:26,212 --> 00:03:28,268 organizations is taken in defense of 95 00:03:28,268 --> 00:03:30,279 vital US national interests and to 96 00:03:30,279 --> 00:03:32,830 protect the homeland . Our operations 97 00:03:32,830 --> 00:03:35,509 in the SOCOM region are lawful under 98 00:03:35,509 --> 00:03:38,419 both US and international law with all 99 00:03:38,419 --> 00:03:40,669 actions in compliance with the law of 100 00:03:40,669 --> 00:03:42,910 armed conflict . These actions have 101 00:03:42,910 --> 00:03:45,669 also been approved by the best military 102 00:03:45,669 --> 00:03:47,725 and civilian lawyers up and down the 103 00:03:47,725 --> 00:03:50,039 chain of command . A completely fake 104 00:03:50,039 --> 00:03:52,139 story in The Washington Post , now 105 00:03:52,139 --> 00:03:54,259 discredited by the New York Times , 106 00:03:54,539 --> 00:03:56,261 tried to mischaracterize these 107 00:03:56,261 --> 00:03:58,580 successful strikes in bad faith . It 108 00:03:58,580 --> 00:04:00,747 was an attempt to damage the Secretary 109 00:04:00,747 --> 00:04:02,913 and the President , and the people saw 110 00:04:02,913 --> 00:04:05,080 through it . The phony Washington Post 111 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:07,302 story even attributed statements to the 112 00:04:07,302 --> 00:04:09,949 secretary that were totally fabricated . 113 00:04:10,059 --> 00:04:11,910 He never said them . That is the 114 00:04:11,910 --> 00:04:14,460 epitome of fake news . As the White 115 00:04:14,460 --> 00:04:16,299 House confirmed yesterday , the 116 00:04:16,299 --> 00:04:18,077 decision to re-strike the narco 117 00:04:18,077 --> 00:04:20,132 terrorist vessel was made by Admiral 118 00:04:20,132 --> 00:04:22,459 Bradley , operating under clear and 119 00:04:22,459 --> 00:04:24,681 long-standing authorities to ensure the 120 00:04:24,681 --> 00:04:26,737 boat was destroyed and the threat to 121 00:04:26,737 --> 00:04:28,681 the United States was eliminated . 122 00:04:28,681 --> 00:04:30,903 Secretary Hegseth stands behind Admiral 123 00:04:30,903 --> 00:04:33,579 Bradley 100% . Admiral Bradley made the 124 00:04:33,579 --> 00:04:35,989 right call , and unlike the previous 125 00:04:35,989 --> 00:04:37,600 administration , we have our 126 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:39,711 warfighters back at this department . 127 00:04:40,119 --> 00:04:41,897 This department will defend our 128 00:04:41,897 --> 00:04:44,119 homeland . This is not a catch phrase . 129 00:04:44,119 --> 00:04:45,897 It is a commitment . And as the 130 00:04:45,897 --> 00:04:47,786 secretary said , when it comes to 131 00:04:47,786 --> 00:04:50,008 killing narco terrorists , we have only 132 00:04:50,008 --> 00:04:52,149 just begun . Lastly , I would like to 133 00:04:52,149 --> 00:04:54,205 announce that the War Department has 134 00:04:54,205 --> 00:04:56,260 created a new division for strategic 135 00:04:56,260 --> 00:04:58,205 marketing that will be led by Abby 136 00:04:58,205 --> 00:05:00,149 Lower , who will hold the title of 137 00:05:00,149 --> 00:05:02,205 deputy assistant to the Secretary of 138 00:05:02,205 --> 00:05:04,093 War for Strategic Marketing . The 139 00:05:04,093 --> 00:05:06,149 division will be a new core function 140 00:05:06,149 --> 00:05:07,871 within public affairs and will 141 00:05:07,871 --> 00:05:09,816 complement our media and strategic 142 00:05:09,816 --> 00:05:11,982 engagement teams . The purpose of this 143 00:05:11,982 --> 00:05:13,982 new division is to create marketing 144 00:05:13,982 --> 00:05:15,705 campaigns that support the War 145 00:05:15,705 --> 00:05:17,593 Department's military recruitment 146 00:05:17,593 --> 00:05:19,649 efforts , providing a halo effect to 147 00:05:19,649 --> 00:05:21,705 the great work the military services 148 00:05:21,705 --> 00:05:23,538 are already doing to recruit our 149 00:05:23,538 --> 00:05:25,649 nation's war fighters , and with that 150 00:05:25,649 --> 00:05:27,760 I'd be happy to take your questions . 151 00:05:29,140 --> 00:05:31,251 Yes , Caitlin , thanks Kim Kingsley . 152 00:05:31,450 --> 00:05:33,690 Can you talk about the autonomy that's 153 00:05:33,690 --> 00:05:36,329 given to the commanders who are 154 00:05:36,329 --> 00:05:38,273 carrying out these operations like 155 00:05:38,273 --> 00:05:41,250 Admiral Bradley to make decisions , um , 156 00:05:41,290 --> 00:05:43,329 like in this case I'm assuming the 157 00:05:43,329 --> 00:05:45,496 first strike took out the boat and any 158 00:05:45,496 --> 00:05:47,551 actions that followed . Can you talk 159 00:05:47,551 --> 00:05:49,496 about the autonomy they're given ? 160 00:05:49,496 --> 00:05:51,551 Absolutely so the secretary has been 161 00:05:51,551 --> 00:05:53,496 very clear in every statement that 162 00:05:53,496 --> 00:05:55,718 we've released about these strikes that 163 00:05:55,718 --> 00:05:57,940 they are presidentially directed , um , 164 00:05:57,940 --> 00:05:57,779 and the chain of command functions as 165 00:05:57,779 --> 00:05:59,668 it should , and we make sure that 166 00:05:59,668 --> 00:06:01,668 commanders on the ground are taking 167 00:06:01,668 --> 00:06:03,835 their positions are taken into account 168 00:06:03,835 --> 00:06:05,835 and they are able to tell us . Make 169 00:06:05,835 --> 00:06:07,890 decisions if they if they see things 170 00:06:07,890 --> 00:06:09,946 that need to be flagged , but at the 171 00:06:09,946 --> 00:06:12,057 end of the day , um the secretary and 172 00:06:12,057 --> 00:06:14,112 the president are the ones directing 173 00:06:14,112 --> 00:06:16,057 these strikes um and any follow on 174 00:06:16,057 --> 00:06:18,223 strikes like those which were directed 175 00:06:18,223 --> 00:06:20,446 by Admiral Bradley , the secretary 100% 176 00:06:20,446 --> 00:06:22,557 agrees with , yes , Matt . Kingsley , 177 00:06:22,557 --> 00:06:25,190 if Nicolas Maduro leaves Venezuela 178 00:06:25,519 --> 00:06:27,630 today , what role will the Department 179 00:06:27,630 --> 00:06:29,352 of war have in a post-M Maduro 180 00:06:29,352 --> 00:06:32,920 Venezuela and describe the process the 181 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:35,000 administration will use to determine 182 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,111 whether or not current members of the 183 00:06:37,111 --> 00:06:39,000 Venezuelan military or Venezuelan 184 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:40,556 government have a role in a 185 00:06:40,556 --> 00:06:42,778 post-Madduro Venezuela . Thanks for the 186 00:06:42,778 --> 00:06:45,111 question . Um , so the department has a . 187 00:06:45,111 --> 00:06:47,278 Contingency plan for everything we are 188 00:06:47,278 --> 00:06:49,444 a planning organization um if anything 189 00:06:49,444 --> 00:06:51,500 were to happen around the world , we 190 00:06:51,500 --> 00:06:53,722 have a response planned and ready so we 191 00:06:53,722 --> 00:06:55,889 stand at the president's beck and call 192 00:06:55,889 --> 00:06:57,889 our commander in chief , um , to do 193 00:06:57,889 --> 00:07:00,056 what is needed , uh , if called upon , 194 00:07:00,056 --> 00:07:02,167 and that will be what this department 195 00:07:02,167 --> 00:07:02,111 continues to focus on and continues to 196 00:07:02,111 --> 00:07:04,000 prepare for , um , in regards for 197 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:06,071 ongoing operations in the Southcom 198 00:07:06,071 --> 00:07:08,127 region . Again , our focus is taking 199 00:07:08,127 --> 00:07:10,503 out narco-terrorists and rooting out 200 00:07:10,503 --> 00:07:12,392 that threat that is poisoning the 201 00:07:12,392 --> 00:07:14,493 American people . Every single boat 202 00:07:14,493 --> 00:07:17,664 that we strike saved 25,000 American 203 00:07:17,664 --> 00:07:20,063 lives . That is a crucial mission to 204 00:07:20,063 --> 00:07:22,285 protecting the homeland and we're proud 205 00:07:22,285 --> 00:07:24,396 to be a part of it . Quickly , so you 206 00:07:24,396 --> 00:07:26,285 know , following the departure of 207 00:07:26,285 --> 00:07:28,452 Saddam Hussein , there was this desire 208 00:07:28,452 --> 00:07:31,335 to name every bath . A terrorist , does 209 00:07:31,335 --> 00:07:33,536 the administration take the view that 210 00:07:33,536 --> 00:07:35,758 any person who served in the Venezuelan 211 00:07:35,758 --> 00:07:37,814 military or Venezuelan government is 212 00:07:37,814 --> 00:07:40,036 definitionally a narco-terrorist ? That 213 00:07:40,036 --> 00:07:41,869 would be a determination for the 214 00:07:41,869 --> 00:07:44,036 president to make , but I can tell you 215 00:07:44,036 --> 00:07:43,575 that every single person who we have 216 00:07:43,575 --> 00:07:46,135 hit thus far , who is in a drug boat 217 00:07:46,135 --> 00:07:48,357 carrying narcotics to the United States 218 00:07:48,357 --> 00:07:50,579 is a narco-terrorist . Our intelligence 219 00:07:50,579 --> 00:07:52,802 has confirmed that and we stand by it . 220 00:07:52,802 --> 00:07:54,857 Yes , Monica , thanks , Kingsley . I 221 00:07:54,857 --> 00:07:57,024 have two questions if I may . For your 222 00:07:57,024 --> 00:07:59,135 first question regarding , um , Sarah 223 00:07:59,135 --> 00:07:58,989 Beckstrom , the 20-year-old West 224 00:07:58,989 --> 00:08:01,100 Virginia National Guardswoman who was 225 00:08:01,100 --> 00:08:02,933 shot and killed , was her family 226 00:08:02,933 --> 00:08:05,267 offered uh an Arlington burial and , um , 227 00:08:05,267 --> 00:08:07,322 or would there be plans to do so ? I 228 00:08:07,322 --> 00:08:09,156 know that the the White House is 229 00:08:09,156 --> 00:08:11,267 working that out , um , so they might 230 00:08:11,267 --> 00:08:13,489 be better to to describe what the plans 231 00:08:13,489 --> 00:08:15,600 are for that but this department will 232 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:17,767 of course support in any way we can um 233 00:08:17,767 --> 00:08:19,767 and have been , you know , in close 234 00:08:19,767 --> 00:08:19,609 contact with the family and the 235 00:08:19,609 --> 00:08:21,609 secretary will continue to do so so 236 00:08:21,609 --> 00:08:23,665 we'll keep you all updated on that . 237 00:08:23,665 --> 00:08:25,665 And my second question um regarding 238 00:08:25,665 --> 00:08:27,720 Iran , there are reports that Iran's 239 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,942 been planning on rebuilding its nuclear 240 00:08:29,942 --> 00:08:32,276 facilities . Iranian president has said . 241 00:08:32,276 --> 00:08:34,331 That it plans to rebuild its nuclear 242 00:08:34,331 --> 00:08:36,786 facilities with greater strength . Um , 243 00:08:36,916 --> 00:08:38,805 can you provide us on any sort of 244 00:08:38,805 --> 00:08:41,027 update on where that currently stands ? 245 00:08:41,027 --> 00:08:43,194 I can tell you that Operation Midnight 246 00:08:43,194 --> 00:08:45,083 Hammer was an absolute resounding 247 00:08:45,083 --> 00:08:46,749 success . Um , Iran's nuclear 248 00:08:46,749 --> 00:08:48,972 capabilities were totally obliterated , 249 00:08:48,972 --> 00:08:51,083 um , and experts estimated that , you 250 00:08:51,083 --> 00:08:53,194 know , it would take 2 years for them 251 00:08:53,194 --> 00:08:55,194 to recover . So thanks to President 252 00:08:55,194 --> 00:08:57,416 Trump's bold and swift action . We were 253 00:08:57,416 --> 00:08:59,472 able to dismantle that threat to the 254 00:08:59,472 --> 00:08:59,392 American people , and I think it was 255 00:08:59,392 --> 00:09:02,142 also a historic operation by virtue of 256 00:09:02,142 --> 00:09:04,142 the fact that there was a clear end 257 00:09:04,142 --> 00:09:06,198 state . We have seen this department 258 00:09:06,198 --> 00:09:08,309 get marred down in the Middle East in 259 00:09:08,309 --> 00:09:10,364 endless wars in nation building that 260 00:09:10,364 --> 00:09:12,420 has stopped under this president and 261 00:09:12,420 --> 00:09:14,642 the secretary . We now have a clear end 262 00:09:14,642 --> 00:09:14,581 state , a clear mission set , and 263 00:09:14,581 --> 00:09:16,803 Operation Midnight Hammer was a success 264 00:09:16,803 --> 00:09:18,803 in dismantling that . Yes , Laura , 265 00:09:18,803 --> 00:09:21,137 thanks so much for having me here today . 266 00:09:21,137 --> 00:09:23,359 Uh , now that the president has started 267 00:09:23,359 --> 00:09:25,470 the process of designating the Muslim 268 00:09:25,470 --> 00:09:27,303 Brotherhood as a foreign Islamic 269 00:09:27,303 --> 00:09:29,470 terrorist organization , uh , will the 270 00:09:29,470 --> 00:09:31,525 Department of War still proceed with 271 00:09:31,525 --> 00:09:33,581 selling F-15 fighter jets to Qatar , 272 00:09:33,581 --> 00:09:35,525 and how will they be able to train 273 00:09:35,525 --> 00:09:37,470 Qatari pilots at their air base in 274 00:09:37,470 --> 00:09:39,359 Idaho if Qatar is included in the 275 00:09:39,359 --> 00:09:39,299 designation ? Thank you for the 276 00:09:39,299 --> 00:09:41,320 question . We um . We take very 277 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,929 seriously um our partnerships and we 278 00:09:43,929 --> 00:09:46,130 always do thorough evaluations to make 279 00:09:46,130 --> 00:09:48,559 sure that they protect our intelligence , 280 00:09:48,750 --> 00:09:50,750 um , our operational security , and 281 00:09:50,750 --> 00:09:52,861 that they serve the best interests of 282 00:09:52,861 --> 00:09:54,750 the American people . Um , the US 283 00:09:54,750 --> 00:09:56,361 military has a long standing 284 00:09:56,361 --> 00:09:58,417 partnership with Qatar , um , and we 285 00:09:58,417 --> 00:10:00,194 look forward to continuing that 286 00:10:00,194 --> 00:10:02,361 partnership at our air base in Idaho , 287 00:10:02,361 --> 00:10:04,528 and I would just point out that . Um , 288 00:10:04,528 --> 00:10:06,750 for reference , you know , the Mountain 289 00:10:06,750 --> 00:10:08,972 Home Idaho Air Base is not just Qataris 290 00:10:08,972 --> 00:10:10,861 that train there . There are also 291 00:10:10,861 --> 00:10:12,917 Singapore um military folks that are 292 00:10:12,917 --> 00:10:15,139 there as well . So it is a base that we 293 00:10:15,139 --> 00:10:17,361 do a lot of foreign military training , 294 00:10:17,361 --> 00:10:19,472 uh , and we are , we are thankful for 295 00:10:19,472 --> 00:10:19,036 those partnerships and we'll continue 296 00:10:19,036 --> 00:10:21,147 to evaluate all of those to make sure 297 00:10:21,147 --> 00:10:22,925 again that national security is 298 00:10:22,925 --> 00:10:24,925 protected . That is the secretary's 299 00:10:24,925 --> 00:10:26,980 utmost priority . But given the fact 300 00:10:26,980 --> 00:10:28,869 that the A royal family and Qatar 301 00:10:28,869 --> 00:10:30,980 itself is the biggest financier along 302 00:10:30,980 --> 00:10:33,203 with Turkey , of course , the financier 303 00:10:33,203 --> 00:10:32,942 of the Muslim Brotherhood would that 304 00:10:32,942 --> 00:10:34,720 relationship and partnership be 305 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:36,942 reevaluated since the designation could 306 00:10:36,942 --> 00:10:38,775 possibly include Qatar ? I'm not 307 00:10:38,775 --> 00:10:41,053 tracking any reevaluation at this time , 308 00:10:41,053 --> 00:10:43,220 but again , the secretary really keeps 309 00:10:43,220 --> 00:10:45,386 national security top of mind and this 310 00:10:45,386 --> 00:10:45,302 administration does as well , so we 311 00:10:45,302 --> 00:10:47,302 will always make sure that American 312 00:10:47,302 --> 00:10:50,599 assets are protected . Yes . Hi David , 313 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:52,696 it's the Real America's Voice . Uh , 314 00:10:52,696 --> 00:10:54,862 it's great to be here . I want to know 315 00:10:54,862 --> 00:10:56,751 if you can confirm any additional 316 00:10:56,751 --> 00:10:58,918 National Guard deployments under Title 317 00:10:58,918 --> 00:11:01,084 10 in additional cities , and have any 318 00:11:01,084 --> 00:11:03,140 governors reached out for help under 319 00:11:03,140 --> 00:11:05,520 Title 32 as well ? And how do you 320 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:07,631 determine how National Guard troops , 321 00:11:07,679 --> 00:11:10,270 how many are armed ? Great question . 322 00:11:10,349 --> 00:11:12,182 Um , so I don't have anything to 323 00:11:12,182 --> 00:11:14,293 announce at this time , uh , in terms 324 00:11:14,293 --> 00:11:16,516 of new deployments , but I can tell you 325 00:11:16,516 --> 00:11:18,627 that our mission set is critical . We 326 00:11:18,627 --> 00:11:20,682 are keeping American cities safe all 327 00:11:20,682 --> 00:11:22,849 across this country , and we are going 328 00:11:22,849 --> 00:11:24,793 to remain committed to that , that 329 00:11:24,793 --> 00:11:26,960 these missions aren't going to stop in 330 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,071 Chicago , in Los Angeles , in DC . We 331 00:11:29,071 --> 00:11:31,127 understand the urgent threat that is 332 00:11:31,127 --> 00:11:33,238 facing many of these cities , and the 333 00:11:33,238 --> 00:11:35,293 National Guard is proud to step . In 334 00:11:35,293 --> 00:11:37,460 alongside our law enforcement partners 335 00:11:37,460 --> 00:11:39,627 um to help with that and I can confirm 336 00:11:39,627 --> 00:11:41,682 that everybody in DC is now armed um 337 00:11:41,682 --> 00:11:43,849 and a lot of our DC National Guardsmen 338 00:11:43,849 --> 00:11:45,960 are now also doing joint patrols with 339 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:48,071 members of the police department here 340 00:11:48,071 --> 00:11:50,182 in DC um so their safety is of course 341 00:11:50,182 --> 00:11:52,182 top of mind and we will continue to 342 00:11:52,182 --> 00:11:54,405 make sure that they're able to do their 343 00:11:54,405 --> 00:11:56,238 jobs in keeping all of our great 344 00:11:56,238 --> 00:11:58,293 Americans safe across our cities yes 345 00:11:58,293 --> 00:12:01,109 Bradley . We're now 90 days into these 346 00:12:01,109 --> 00:12:03,570 uh Venezuelan drug boat strikes . A 347 00:12:03,570 --> 00:12:05,626 growing number of members on Capitol 348 00:12:05,626 --> 00:12:07,737 Hill are getting their mettle up with 349 00:12:07,737 --> 00:12:09,903 regard to war powers . If they do move 350 00:12:09,903 --> 00:12:11,959 forward with some sort of war powers 351 00:12:11,959 --> 00:12:14,070 effort , will the administration seek 352 00:12:14,070 --> 00:12:16,126 to challenge the validity of the war 353 00:12:16,126 --> 00:12:18,348 powers resolution , or will it comply ? 354 00:12:18,348 --> 00:12:20,348 I wouldn't want to get ahead of the 355 00:12:20,348 --> 00:12:22,514 president's decision making process in 356 00:12:22,514 --> 00:12:24,570 regard to Venezuela , but I can tell 357 00:12:24,570 --> 00:12:26,737 you what I what I mentioned earlier is 358 00:12:26,737 --> 00:12:26,219 that the department is a planning 359 00:12:26,219 --> 00:12:28,441 organization . We are always ready . We 360 00:12:28,441 --> 00:12:30,775 have plans for every single contingency , 361 00:12:30,775 --> 00:12:32,997 and we are going to make sure that when 362 00:12:32,997 --> 00:12:34,997 it comes to narco-terrorism , we're 363 00:12:34,997 --> 00:12:37,219 dismantling that throughout the Western 364 00:12:37,219 --> 00:12:36,549 Hemisphere and you've seen that in the 365 00:12:36,549 --> 00:12:38,716 success of our strikes . One follow up 366 00:12:38,716 --> 00:12:41,789 if I may , 53% in a recent CBS YouGov 367 00:12:41,789 --> 00:12:44,109 poll said they support the strikes on 368 00:12:44,109 --> 00:12:47,059 these drug boats , but 70% said . No 369 00:12:47,059 --> 00:12:49,530 military operations within Venezuela . 370 00:12:49,780 --> 00:12:51,947 Nevertheless , members of Congress are 371 00:12:51,947 --> 00:12:54,113 increasingly calling for regime change 372 00:12:54,113 --> 00:12:56,224 there . Uh , what's the Department of 373 00:12:56,224 --> 00:12:56,150 War's message to those members of 374 00:12:56,150 --> 00:12:58,372 Congress ? The Department of War stands 375 00:12:58,372 --> 00:13:00,594 behind the president 100% , and we will 376 00:13:00,594 --> 00:13:02,317 execute on the orders that our 377 00:13:02,317 --> 00:13:04,539 commander in chief gives us , and we're 378 00:13:04,539 --> 00:13:06,650 proud to do so . That will continue . 379 00:13:06,650 --> 00:13:08,817 And again , any decision that is going 380 00:13:08,817 --> 00:13:10,706 to be made about certain military 381 00:13:10,706 --> 00:13:10,539 actions in the Western Hemisphere 382 00:13:10,539 --> 00:13:12,706 region will be the president's alone . 383 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:15,659 Yes . Uh , Todd Wood from CDM's Armed 384 00:13:15,659 --> 00:13:17,826 Forces Press , uh , there's been a lot 385 00:13:17,826 --> 00:13:19,770 of reporting that yes , it's about 386 00:13:19,770 --> 00:13:21,826 drugs in Venezuela but also possibly 387 00:13:21,826 --> 00:13:23,937 about election fraud electronically . 388 00:13:24,299 --> 00:13:26,299 Do you have any comment on that and 389 00:13:26,299 --> 00:13:28,521 also our assets , uh , we've heard that 390 00:13:28,521 --> 00:13:30,688 special operations aviation assets are 391 00:13:30,688 --> 00:13:32,799 exercising for direct action missions 392 00:13:32,799 --> 00:13:34,910 in that region . Can you confirm that 393 00:13:34,910 --> 00:13:36,910 at all ? On your first question , I 394 00:13:36,910 --> 00:13:36,530 would refer you to the State Department . 395 00:13:36,619 --> 00:13:38,786 I think they would probably be able to 396 00:13:38,786 --> 00:13:41,008 give you a better answer on that . Um , 397 00:13:41,008 --> 00:13:43,175 but in terms of your second question , 398 00:13:43,175 --> 00:13:45,286 I can tell you that we are conducting 399 00:13:45,286 --> 00:13:47,508 training missions and exercises . We've 400 00:13:47,508 --> 00:13:47,460 got the Ford aircraft carrier now that 401 00:13:47,460 --> 00:13:49,460 is down there , uh , in the SOCOM 402 00:13:49,460 --> 00:13:51,071 region , and as I said , the 403 00:13:51,071 --> 00:13:53,293 departments of planning organizations , 404 00:13:53,293 --> 00:13:55,516 so a big part of that planning is doing 405 00:13:55,516 --> 00:13:55,440 trainings and make sure that we're 406 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:57,780 ready at a moment's notice to protect 407 00:13:57,780 --> 00:13:59,613 our interests and to protect the 408 00:13:59,613 --> 00:14:01,780 American people from narco-terrorism . 409 00:14:02,109 --> 00:14:04,289 Yes , RC . Has there been a 410 00:14:04,289 --> 00:14:06,345 determination at this point from the 411 00:14:06,345 --> 00:14:08,233 Army secretary on a Distinguished 412 00:14:08,233 --> 00:14:10,289 Service Medal for Specialist Sarah 413 00:14:10,289 --> 00:14:12,950 Bextram ? I would refer you to the army 414 00:14:12,950 --> 00:14:15,228 for that , um , and if I hear anything , 415 00:14:15,228 --> 00:14:17,394 I will keep you posted . That would be 416 00:14:17,394 --> 00:14:19,394 wonderful news . Yes , James . Hi , 417 00:14:19,394 --> 00:14:21,617 James O'Keefe . Nicholas Turza , branch 418 00:14:21,617 --> 00:14:23,839 chief here at the Pentagon , was caught 419 00:14:23,839 --> 00:14:23,669 on a video in the spring stating , 420 00:14:23,750 --> 00:14:25,861 quote , Trump is illegitimate . We're 421 00:14:25,861 --> 00:14:27,528 going to resist him , quote , 422 00:14:27,528 --> 00:14:29,694 everything he does . We know there are 423 00:14:29,694 --> 00:14:31,917 other people like this that work here . 424 00:14:31,917 --> 00:14:31,510 My question is what steps is the 425 00:14:31,510 --> 00:14:33,566 Department of War taking to identify 426 00:14:33,566 --> 00:14:35,621 and address personnel who are in the 427 00:14:35,621 --> 00:14:37,677 self-described resistance movement . 428 00:14:37,677 --> 00:14:39,899 Thank you for the question . That's why 429 00:14:39,899 --> 00:14:42,010 the work you all do is so important . 430 00:14:42,010 --> 00:14:44,121 This is a big building and we want to 431 00:14:44,121 --> 00:14:43,770 make sure that we have the absolute 432 00:14:43,770 --> 00:14:46,039 best people working at it to protect 433 00:14:46,340 --> 00:14:48,451 Americans every single day . We don't 434 00:14:48,451 --> 00:14:50,673 take lightly what every single civilian 435 00:14:50,673 --> 00:14:52,896 and military person in this building do 436 00:14:52,896 --> 00:14:55,007 every single day . Uh , they do a lot 437 00:14:55,007 --> 00:14:54,739 of hard work and we want to make sure 438 00:14:54,739 --> 00:14:56,683 that they're up to the task , that 439 00:14:56,683 --> 00:14:59,109 they're on board and willing to serve 440 00:14:59,109 --> 00:15:01,276 our commander in chief who was elected 441 00:15:01,276 --> 00:15:03,387 by the whole of the American people , 442 00:15:03,387 --> 00:15:05,553 um , to serve as our president , and , 443 00:15:05,553 --> 00:15:07,553 and we support him 100% here at the 444 00:15:07,553 --> 00:15:09,887 Department of War . That is our mission . 445 00:15:09,887 --> 00:15:11,942 That is our chain of . And , um , so 446 00:15:11,942 --> 00:15:14,165 personnel is policy . The secretary has 447 00:15:14,165 --> 00:15:16,387 said that many times and I know you all 448 00:15:16,387 --> 00:15:18,665 in this room are aware of that as well . 449 00:15:18,665 --> 00:15:20,776 That was really the , the crux of his 450 00:15:20,776 --> 00:15:22,942 speech at Quantico not long ago to the 451 00:15:22,942 --> 00:15:24,887 generals . Our people are our most 452 00:15:24,887 --> 00:15:24,690 important assets , so we will continue 453 00:15:24,690 --> 00:15:26,523 to make sure that our people are 454 00:15:26,523 --> 00:15:28,579 consistently putting America first . 455 00:15:28,579 --> 00:15:30,523 That's something we care very much 456 00:15:30,523 --> 00:15:32,690 about . Yes , Alex , thanks Kingsley . 457 00:15:32,690 --> 00:15:35,409 Are there plans to host or hold more of 458 00:15:35,409 --> 00:15:37,576 these , uh , regular press briefings ? 459 00:15:37,576 --> 00:15:39,798 And if so , how frequently ? Absolutely 460 00:15:39,798 --> 00:15:41,798 we'd love to . It'd be great to get 461 00:15:41,798 --> 00:15:44,020 everybody in here . Um , I know we have 462 00:15:44,020 --> 00:15:46,131 the Christmas holiday coming up , but 463 00:15:46,131 --> 00:15:45,890 we'd love to make it a weekly or 464 00:15:45,890 --> 00:15:47,946 biweekly , uh , tradition , so we're 465 00:15:47,946 --> 00:15:50,168 excited to have you all in the Pentagon 466 00:15:50,168 --> 00:15:52,223 for those . We was we receiving more 467 00:15:52,223 --> 00:15:54,168 readouts of the Secretary of War's 468 00:15:54,168 --> 00:15:55,890 meetings , you know , with the 469 00:15:55,890 --> 00:15:57,946 president yesterday , um , much like 470 00:15:57,946 --> 00:15:57,280 the State Department and the White 471 00:15:57,280 --> 00:15:59,309 House that provide by readouts and 472 00:15:59,309 --> 00:16:01,476 scheduling and things like that . Will 473 00:16:01,476 --> 00:16:03,698 we be receiving more of those . Um , in 474 00:16:03,698 --> 00:16:05,865 the interest , as I said in my opening 475 00:16:05,865 --> 00:16:07,920 in the interest of transparency , we 476 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:07,770 want to make sure that you all are 477 00:16:07,770 --> 00:16:09,937 informed . That's a commitment we take 478 00:16:09,937 --> 00:16:11,992 seriously . Obviously we're slightly 479 00:16:11,992 --> 00:16:14,159 different than other agencies and that 480 00:16:14,159 --> 00:16:15,826 we have national security and 481 00:16:15,826 --> 00:16:18,048 operational concerns , but we will tell 482 00:16:18,048 --> 00:16:17,840 you as much as we can because we want 483 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:19,840 the American public to know all the 484 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:22,007 incredible things that our warfighters 485 00:16:22,007 --> 00:16:24,173 are doing every single day and all the 486 00:16:24,173 --> 00:16:26,396 amazing initiatives the secretary is is 487 00:16:26,396 --> 00:16:28,673 pursuing here at the Department of War . 488 00:16:28,673 --> 00:16:30,840 Yes . Excuse me , uh , Jordan Conrad's 489 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:32,951 from the Gateway pundit . I wanted to 490 00:16:32,951 --> 00:16:34,784 ask you , in May , the secretary 491 00:16:34,784 --> 00:16:36,951 announced a new investigation into the 492 00:16:36,951 --> 00:16:39,173 Afghanistan withdrawal under Biden . In 493 00:16:39,173 --> 00:16:41,340 light of the recent events with one of 494 00:16:41,340 --> 00:16:43,830 these refugees killing a service member , 495 00:16:44,090 --> 00:16:45,701 is there any updates on that 496 00:16:45,701 --> 00:16:47,534 investigation ? I don't have any 497 00:16:47,534 --> 00:16:49,590 updates for you at this time , but I 498 00:16:49,590 --> 00:16:51,812 can tell you that the review that we're 499 00:16:51,812 --> 00:16:53,479 doing into the the horrendous 500 00:16:53,479 --> 00:16:53,450 Afghanistan withdrawal under the 501 00:16:53,450 --> 00:16:55,450 previous administration , the Biden 502 00:16:55,450 --> 00:16:57,394 administration , is expected to be 503 00:16:57,394 --> 00:16:59,617 complete by summer of 2026 , and we are 504 00:16:59,617 --> 00:17:02,500 committed to ensuring that this review , 505 00:17:02,590 --> 00:17:05,839 unlike others , is much more um 506 00:17:05,839 --> 00:17:07,950 unredacted , that the American people 507 00:17:07,950 --> 00:17:09,895 are able to consume the report for 508 00:17:09,895 --> 00:17:11,798 themselves and . See what truly 509 00:17:11,798 --> 00:17:13,918 happened on that fateful day and that 510 00:17:13,918 --> 00:17:16,029 fateful withdrawal , and we owe it to 511 00:17:16,029 --> 00:17:18,307 our service members to accomplish that . 512 00:17:18,307 --> 00:17:20,362 The review is being led by our chief 513 00:17:20,362 --> 00:17:22,474 Pentagon spokesman and senior adviser 514 00:17:22,474 --> 00:17:24,529 to the secretary , Sean Parnell , an 515 00:17:24,529 --> 00:17:26,640 Afghan veteran himself , and he takes 516 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,696 very seriously the responsibility to 517 00:17:28,696 --> 00:17:30,974 getting answers to the American people . 518 00:17:30,974 --> 00:17:33,196 So we are committed to that 100% and in 519 00:17:33,196 --> 00:17:35,307 summer 2026 , the public will be able 520 00:17:35,307 --> 00:17:37,418 to have that report . Yes . Thank you 521 00:17:37,418 --> 00:17:39,640 Ks a question for you in regards to the 522 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:41,751 Afghan withdrawal when we brought all 523 00:17:41,751 --> 00:17:43,862 these migrants onto military bases or 524 00:17:43,862 --> 00:17:46,029 these refugees on the military bases , 525 00:17:46,029 --> 00:17:45,729 we saw a surge in assaults immediately 526 00:17:45,729 --> 00:17:47,618 after sexual assault and physical 527 00:17:47,618 --> 00:17:49,840 assaults and then all of a sudden under 528 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:51,729 the previous administration we no 529 00:17:51,729 --> 00:17:53,729 longer learned of anything that was 530 00:17:53,729 --> 00:17:53,290 happening anymore on these military 531 00:17:53,290 --> 00:17:55,569 bases . Does this Pentagon plan on 532 00:17:55,569 --> 00:17:58,130 giving us some type of criminal data on 533 00:17:58,130 --> 00:18:00,297 that to see what actually happens when 534 00:18:00,297 --> 00:18:02,408 they were brought onto these military 535 00:18:02,408 --> 00:18:04,630 bases and do we have any status updates 536 00:18:04,630 --> 00:18:06,741 on like . FBI investigations and such 537 00:18:06,741 --> 00:18:08,797 so for FBI investigations , anything 538 00:18:08,797 --> 00:18:10,408 that would be a criminal law 539 00:18:10,408 --> 00:18:12,519 enforcement matter would obviously um 540 00:18:12,519 --> 00:18:14,186 be something to direct to the 541 00:18:14,186 --> 00:18:16,130 Department of Justice as we cannot 542 00:18:16,130 --> 00:18:18,352 speak to that um from our perch here at 543 00:18:18,352 --> 00:18:17,619 the Department of war but what I can 544 00:18:17,619 --> 00:18:20,939 tell you um is that we are aware of a 545 00:18:20,939 --> 00:18:23,106 lot of that activity that went on it's 546 00:18:23,106 --> 00:18:26,489 despicable one is too many , right ? Um , 547 00:18:26,579 --> 00:18:28,412 and we understand that the Biden 548 00:18:28,412 --> 00:18:30,468 administration unfortunately put our 549 00:18:30,468 --> 00:18:32,412 troops in our country last in many 550 00:18:32,412 --> 00:18:34,523 cases . The secretary is committed to 551 00:18:34,523 --> 00:18:36,746 correcting that and I think that's what 552 00:18:36,746 --> 00:18:39,079 you're going to see going forward . Yes . 553 00:18:39,270 --> 00:18:41,780 Yes , um , thank you . I , uh , I 554 00:18:41,780 --> 00:18:44,002 wanted to ask you about Somalia , which 555 00:18:44,002 --> 00:18:46,113 isn't talked about very much , but we 556 00:18:46,113 --> 00:18:48,336 have done 101 , uh , strikes in Somalia 557 00:18:48,336 --> 00:18:50,680 in 2025 , and , um , there was another , 558 00:18:50,780 --> 00:18:52,836 there was a raid carried out in some 559 00:18:52,836 --> 00:18:54,836 caves and I'm quoting , um , former 560 00:18:54,836 --> 00:18:56,836 congressman Matt Gates who I didn't 561 00:18:56,836 --> 00:18:59,113 realize would be here today , but he's , 562 00:18:59,113 --> 00:19:01,280 he asked why we're sending hundreds of 563 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:03,169 US troops into fortified caves in 564 00:19:03,169 --> 00:19:05,224 Somalia to kill like 5 guys and um I 565 00:19:05,224 --> 00:19:07,280 think it's a good question as to why 566 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:09,391 the US military is still in Somalia . 567 00:19:09,391 --> 00:19:11,613 Thank you for the question . So I can , 568 00:19:11,613 --> 00:19:11,239 I can assure you , right , this is an 569 00:19:11,239 --> 00:19:13,770 America first department of war and uh 570 00:19:13,770 --> 00:19:15,770 president , so we aren't conducting 571 00:19:15,770 --> 00:19:17,770 forever wars in Somalia . We're not 572 00:19:17,770 --> 00:19:19,770 seeking regime change , um , or you 573 00:19:19,770 --> 00:19:21,937 know , we're not nation building , but 574 00:19:21,937 --> 00:19:23,826 I will say that this department's 575 00:19:23,826 --> 00:19:25,826 narrowly scoped intelligence driven 576 00:19:25,826 --> 00:19:27,937 counterterrorism operations in places 577 00:19:27,937 --> 00:19:30,530 like Somalia alongside our partners 578 00:19:30,530 --> 00:19:32,530 allow us to protect the American 579 00:19:32,530 --> 00:19:34,697 homeland from terrorist threats and to 580 00:19:34,697 --> 00:19:36,752 protect our interests , so . We will 581 00:19:36,752 --> 00:19:38,974 continue to make sure that the American 582 00:19:38,974 --> 00:19:40,863 people are kept safe . That's our 583 00:19:40,863 --> 00:19:42,974 utmost priority . Um , but you know , 584 00:19:42,974 --> 00:19:45,030 we're not isolationists , we're also 585 00:19:45,030 --> 00:19:46,919 not neocons . We're realists . We 586 00:19:46,919 --> 00:19:48,752 understand that threats face the 587 00:19:48,752 --> 00:19:50,863 American people every single day . We 588 00:19:50,863 --> 00:19:53,086 take that incredibly seriously , but at 589 00:19:53,086 --> 00:19:52,854 the same time we're always going to 590 00:19:52,854 --> 00:19:54,910 make sure that we're putting America 591 00:19:54,910 --> 00:19:56,910 first . And if I could follow up on 592 00:19:56,910 --> 00:19:58,965 Laura's question actually , um , but 593 00:19:58,965 --> 00:20:01,132 from a different angle , she mentioned 594 00:20:01,132 --> 00:20:00,775 that are we reassessing our 595 00:20:00,775 --> 00:20:02,719 relationship with Qatar because of 596 00:20:02,719 --> 00:20:04,997 funding of the Muslim Brotherhood . Um , 597 00:20:04,997 --> 00:20:06,719 it's been widely documented in 598 00:20:06,719 --> 00:20:08,664 mainstream Israeli papers that the 599 00:20:08,664 --> 00:20:10,886 Israeli government funded Hamas , which 600 00:20:10,886 --> 00:20:10,479 we also designated as a terrorist 601 00:20:10,479 --> 00:20:12,257 organization . Are we therefore 602 00:20:12,257 --> 00:20:14,146 reassessing our relationship with 603 00:20:14,146 --> 00:20:16,312 Israel because of this ? That would be 604 00:20:16,312 --> 00:20:15,760 a better question for the State 605 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:17,871 Department , um , as they're the ones 606 00:20:17,871 --> 00:20:19,760 who have those foreign diplomatic 607 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:22,239 channels . Yes , Ryan . Thank you and 608 00:20:22,239 --> 00:20:24,572 thank you for doing this press briefing . 609 00:20:24,572 --> 00:20:26,795 Uh , I wanted to get back to the , uh , 610 00:20:26,795 --> 00:20:28,850 SOCOM strikes real quick , um , just 611 00:20:28,850 --> 00:20:30,850 broadly speaking , not specifically 612 00:20:30,850 --> 00:20:33,089 about the September 2nd strike , but 613 00:20:33,089 --> 00:20:35,449 broadly speaking , are we doing any 614 00:20:35,449 --> 00:20:38,449 kinds of , uh , post-strike assessments , 615 00:20:38,459 --> 00:20:41,130 uh , to determine that the intelligence 616 00:20:41,130 --> 00:20:42,920 that informed those strikes was 617 00:20:43,329 --> 00:20:46,410 accurate ? Uh , are we recovering any 618 00:20:46,410 --> 00:20:48,243 drugs on board those vessels you 619 00:20:48,243 --> 00:20:51,589 mentioned ? Each vessel struck as 620 00:20:51,589 --> 00:20:55,469 equivalent of 25,000 overdose deaths . 621 00:20:55,839 --> 00:20:58,006 So are we mostly picking up fentanyl , 622 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:00,839 cocaine , or what have you ? What , 623 00:21:00,959 --> 00:21:03,181 what's going on with these boats ? like 624 00:21:03,181 --> 00:21:05,237 what's on these boats ? Yeah , thank 625 00:21:05,237 --> 00:21:07,292 you for the question . Um , so I can 626 00:21:07,292 --> 00:21:09,237 tell you in terms of your question 627 00:21:09,237 --> 00:21:10,792 about intelligence that our 628 00:21:10,792 --> 00:21:12,848 intelligence absolutely confirms who 629 00:21:12,848 --> 00:21:12,680 these people are , um , and I can't get 630 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:14,902 into right from this podium how we know 631 00:21:14,902 --> 00:21:17,124 that . I don't . Want to communicate to 632 00:21:17,124 --> 00:21:19,069 the enemy , uh , the ways in which 633 00:21:19,069 --> 00:21:21,236 we're carrying out these strikes , but 634 00:21:21,236 --> 00:21:23,458 I can tell you that without a shadow of 635 00:21:23,458 --> 00:21:25,347 a doubt , every single one of our 636 00:21:25,347 --> 00:21:27,347 military and civilian lawyers knows 637 00:21:27,347 --> 00:21:27,229 that these individuals are narco 638 00:21:27,229 --> 00:21:29,118 terrorists . We know what they're 639 00:21:29,118 --> 00:21:31,285 carrying , where they're coming from , 640 00:21:31,285 --> 00:21:33,451 and where they're going , and they are 641 00:21:33,451 --> 00:21:35,451 trying to bring drugs to our shores 642 00:21:35,451 --> 00:21:37,507 that kill . Hurt American citizens . 643 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:39,893 The president takes that very seriously , 644 00:21:39,893 --> 00:21:42,004 and when he designated these groups , 645 00:21:42,004 --> 00:21:44,060 designated terrorist organizations , 646 00:21:44,060 --> 00:21:46,282 that opened up a lot for us here at the 647 00:21:46,282 --> 00:21:48,338 Department of War . We can engage in 648 00:21:48,338 --> 00:21:50,393 ways that we never could before . So 649 00:21:50,393 --> 00:21:52,504 that's all I can say at the moment on 650 00:21:52,504 --> 00:21:54,727 that topic , but I can 100% affirm that 651 00:21:54,727 --> 00:21:56,949 we know without a shadow of a doubt who 652 00:21:56,949 --> 00:21:59,282 these narco terrorists are . Yes , Wade . 653 00:21:59,282 --> 00:22:01,449 So you were speaking earlier about the 654 00:22:01,449 --> 00:22:03,504 Washington Post report uh concerning 655 00:22:03,504 --> 00:22:06,510 the Secretary of War and uh Admiral uh 656 00:22:06,510 --> 00:22:09,560 Bradley and um my question 657 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,520 is does does the Department of War plan 658 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:15,010 on pursuing any sort of legal action ? 659 00:22:15,270 --> 00:22:17,326 Against the Washington Post and what 660 00:22:17,326 --> 00:22:19,548 consequences will there be for lying to 661 00:22:19,548 --> 00:22:21,770 the American people , because of course 662 00:22:21,770 --> 00:22:23,770 the implication there was that Pete 663 00:22:23,770 --> 00:22:25,790 Hegseth and Admiral Bradley are war 664 00:22:25,790 --> 00:22:28,520 criminals and that was the implication 665 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:30,464 and that's what a lot of people on 666 00:22:30,464 --> 00:22:32,798 social media were saying after the fact . 667 00:22:32,798 --> 00:22:34,964 So could you speak to that ? Yeah , it 668 00:22:34,964 --> 00:22:36,687 is frankly disgusting that the 669 00:22:36,687 --> 00:22:38,909 Washington Post would publish something 670 00:22:38,909 --> 00:22:38,900 that is so insanely false , and we've 671 00:22:38,900 --> 00:22:40,900 seen this from the mainstream media 672 00:22:40,900 --> 00:22:43,233 before . Right , anonymous sources , um , 673 00:22:43,233 --> 00:22:45,233 that are being quoted that probably 674 00:22:45,233 --> 00:22:47,289 have no idea what's going on and the 675 00:22:47,289 --> 00:22:49,511 Washington Post actually went so far as 676 00:22:49,511 --> 00:22:51,511 to falsely attribute a quote to the 677 00:22:51,511 --> 00:22:53,844 Secretary of Defense of war , excuse me , 678 00:22:53,844 --> 00:22:56,552 that he never said that is preposterous 679 00:22:56,552 --> 00:22:58,552 that they would write that and pass 680 00:22:58,552 --> 00:23:00,219 that off as true journalism . 681 00:23:00,219 --> 00:23:02,441 Thankfully , the New York Times stepped 682 00:23:02,441 --> 00:23:04,663 in and corrected the record and let the 683 00:23:04,663 --> 00:23:06,663 American people know that what They 684 00:23:06,663 --> 00:23:08,663 were publishing was absolutely fake 685 00:23:08,663 --> 00:23:10,885 news . So the Washington Post , I think 686 00:23:10,885 --> 00:23:12,996 reader readership , uh , should think 687 00:23:12,996 --> 00:23:15,274 twice before reading that outlet again . 688 00:23:15,274 --> 00:23:17,108 It is disgraceful that they call 689 00:23:17,108 --> 00:23:19,163 themselves journalists , um , and we 690 00:23:19,163 --> 00:23:21,108 told them as such , right ? We get 691 00:23:21,108 --> 00:23:20,855 press queries like we do from all of 692 00:23:20,855 --> 00:23:22,744 you . We told them this story was 693 00:23:22,744 --> 00:23:24,799 completely fake news on Thanksgiving 694 00:23:24,799 --> 00:23:26,855 evening with a 3 hour deadline , and 695 00:23:26,855 --> 00:23:28,966 they still published it anyway . It's 696 00:23:28,966 --> 00:23:30,799 disgraceful , but thankfully the 697 00:23:30,799 --> 00:23:32,966 American people see through it . Yes , 698 00:23:32,966 --> 00:23:35,750 Jack . Kingsley , does the , uh , does 699 00:23:35,750 --> 00:23:37,917 the Secretary's office or the Pentagon 700 00:23:37,917 --> 00:23:39,750 in general the Department have a 701 00:23:39,750 --> 00:23:41,861 message for Senator Wicker , who as a 702 00:23:41,861 --> 00:23:44,380 Republican has now backed this inquiry 703 00:23:44,380 --> 00:23:46,589 into Secretary Hesseth again accusing 704 00:23:46,589 --> 00:23:48,989 him of war crimes . It seemed strange 705 00:23:48,989 --> 00:23:51,229 to see a Republican going after one of 706 00:23:51,229 --> 00:23:53,451 President Trump's own cabinet members . 707 00:23:53,451 --> 00:23:55,618 So I can confirm that the Secretary of 708 00:23:55,618 --> 00:23:57,618 War spoke with Senator Wicker , and 709 00:23:57,618 --> 00:23:59,729 they had a good conversation where he 710 00:23:59,729 --> 00:24:01,951 was able To explain to him a lot of the 711 00:24:01,951 --> 00:24:04,007 the rationale behind these strikes , 712 00:24:04,007 --> 00:24:06,173 and we work closely with all of our uh 713 00:24:06,173 --> 00:24:07,896 partners on the hill , whether 714 00:24:07,896 --> 00:24:10,007 Republican or Democrat , to keep them 715 00:24:10,007 --> 00:24:12,118 up to date on what this department is 716 00:24:12,118 --> 00:24:11,989 doing in regards to the strike . So we 717 00:24:11,989 --> 00:24:13,933 will continue to do that and we'll 718 00:24:13,933 --> 00:24:16,156 we'll continue to brief members of Hask 719 00:24:16,156 --> 00:24:18,045 and Sask , and we look forward to 720 00:24:18,045 --> 00:24:20,211 continuing those relationships . Quick 721 00:24:20,211 --> 00:24:22,378 follow up , you mentioned working with 722 00:24:22,378 --> 00:24:24,545 partners on the Hill . Another senator 723 00:24:24,545 --> 00:24:23,829 on the hill , the Democrat side is 724 00:24:23,829 --> 00:24:26,310 Senator Mark Kelly . Now we heard some 725 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:27,920 Reporting about a possible 726 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:30,219 investigation into him regarding his 727 00:24:30,219 --> 00:24:32,390 status as a retired retired member of 728 00:24:32,390 --> 00:24:34,279 the United States Navy , still on 729 00:24:34,279 --> 00:24:36,279 pension , and therefore still still 730 00:24:36,279 --> 00:24:38,390 under the jurisdiction of the Uniform 731 00:24:38,390 --> 00:24:40,668 Code of Military Justice . And as such , 732 00:24:40,668 --> 00:24:42,612 his membership , you mentioned the 733 00:24:42,612 --> 00:24:44,834 seditious 6 , would that be grounds for 734 00:24:44,834 --> 00:24:46,890 possibly bringing him back to active 735 00:24:46,890 --> 00:24:49,112 service for an investigation for NJP or 736 00:24:49,112 --> 00:24:51,223 even a full court martial ? So you're 737 00:24:51,223 --> 00:24:50,989 correct , the Department of War 738 00:24:50,989 --> 00:24:52,767 received serious allegations of 739 00:24:52,767 --> 00:24:54,989 misconduct . Against Senator Mark Kelly 740 00:24:54,989 --> 00:24:57,211 and in accordance with the Uniform Code 741 00:24:57,211 --> 00:24:58,878 of Military Justice and other 742 00:24:58,878 --> 00:25:00,600 applicable recommendations and 743 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:02,433 regulations , um , we're doing a 744 00:25:02,433 --> 00:25:04,211 thorough review of all of these 745 00:25:04,211 --> 00:25:06,267 allegations and the Secretary of War 746 00:25:06,267 --> 00:25:08,322 has tasked the Secretary of the Navy 747 00:25:08,322 --> 00:25:10,211 John Phelin with doing a thorough 748 00:25:10,211 --> 00:25:12,045 review looking into all of these 749 00:25:12,045 --> 00:25:14,267 allegations and providing him an update 750 00:25:14,267 --> 00:25:16,489 on December 10th . So we will have more 751 00:25:16,489 --> 00:25:18,656 information to come on that , um , but 752 00:25:18,656 --> 00:25:20,767 I would just add that this despicable 753 00:25:20,767 --> 00:25:22,989 video that . Mark Kelly participated in 754 00:25:22,989 --> 00:25:24,600 with the seditious Six was a 755 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:26,378 politically motivated influence 756 00:25:26,378 --> 00:25:28,869 operation that was an attempt to 757 00:25:28,869 --> 00:25:30,989 undermine the chain of command to sow 758 00:25:30,989 --> 00:25:33,650 distrust and division in our armed 759 00:25:33,650 --> 00:25:36,829 forces . That is absolutely ridiculous 760 00:25:36,829 --> 00:25:39,300 and it puts our warfighters at risk . 761 00:25:39,670 --> 00:25:41,949 And again , he doubled down on the 762 00:25:41,949 --> 00:25:44,116 Sunday shows . I don't know if you all 763 00:25:44,116 --> 00:25:46,171 saw him on the Sunday shows , but he 764 00:25:46,171 --> 00:25:48,171 basically insinuated that . Service 765 00:25:48,171 --> 00:25:51,030 members who do not defy President 766 00:25:51,030 --> 00:25:53,109 Trump's orders could face potential 767 00:25:53,109 --> 00:25:55,199 prosecution in the future when 768 00:25:55,199 --> 00:25:57,310 Democrats are back in power . He even 769 00:25:57,310 --> 00:25:59,421 called our troops and likened them to 770 00:25:59,421 --> 00:26:01,790 those of the Russian military . This is 771 00:26:01,790 --> 00:26:04,229 totally disgraceful from an elected 772 00:26:04,229 --> 00:26:06,396 official , and the department takes it 773 00:26:06,396 --> 00:26:08,396 very seriously , and that is why we 774 00:26:08,396 --> 00:26:10,618 have launched this review . And just to 775 00:26:10,618 --> 00:26:12,729 be clear , so Secretary Falin were to 776 00:26:12,729 --> 00:26:14,951 recommend court martial , that would be 777 00:26:14,951 --> 00:26:16,896 on board . What was the question ? 778 00:26:16,896 --> 00:26:19,007 Sorry . If Secretary Phalin were were 779 00:26:19,007 --> 00:26:18,689 to recommend court martial , that could 780 00:26:18,689 --> 00:26:20,911 be an option on the table . All options 781 00:26:20,911 --> 00:26:23,245 are on the table at this moment in time , 782 00:26:23,245 --> 00:26:25,467 um , and we look forward to getting the 783 00:26:25,467 --> 00:26:27,522 Secretary of the Navy's review , and 784 00:26:27,522 --> 00:26:29,467 the Secretary of War has been very 785 00:26:29,467 --> 00:26:31,689 clear in his statements as well that he 786 00:26:31,689 --> 00:26:33,800 takes this extremely seriously and it 787 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:36,022 is unacceptable . That's all the time I 788 00:26:36,022 --> 00:26:35,609 have today . Thank you all so much . I 789 00:26:35,609 --> 00:26:37,553 really appreciate you coming out . 790 00:26:38,530 --> 00:26:38,739 Exactly .