A resurfaced 2016 video shows Pete Hegseth declaring that “there are going to be consequences for illegal actions,” adding that troops must not follow unlawful battlefield orders. The clip is drawing new attention as Hegseth faces scrutiny over a September 2 strike on a suspected cartel boat, after reports claimed a JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command) commander ordered a second airstrike to kill the two survivors — allegedly following a verbal directive from Hegseth to “kill everybody.” Hegseth has denied issuing such an order.

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