A prominent retired U.S. Army general has joined a widening chorus urging President Donald Trump to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as questions intensify over a controversial U.S. strike in the Caribbean and the administration’s handling of the aftermath.
Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, a former four-star officer and longtime national security commentator, posted that Hegseth “should be fired” over reporting and accounts tied to a Sept. 2 operation in which U.S. forces struck a vessel described by the administration as connected to drug trafficking—then carried out a second strike that killed two people who survived the initial hit. (2Paragraphs)
The strike at the center of the dispute
The Sept. 2 incident—widely reported as occurring off the coast near Trinidad—has drawn scrutiny because of what lawmakers say they saw in classified video footage: two individuals, apparently stranded after the first strike, later killed by a follow-up attack. Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called the footage “one of the most troubling things” he’s encountered in public service. (PBS)
Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has also said he was “deeply disturbed” after viewing the video and pushed for more transparency. (Reuters)
McCaffrey’s criticism and the “fired” demand
McCaffrey’s call for Hegseth to be removed gained traction after other current and former officials condemned the reported decision-making around the operation—particularly the second strike and the broader command climate it suggests. (2Paragraphs)
His remarks add military weight to the political pressure already facing Hegseth from lawmakers—especially Democrats, and some critics who argue the episode raises serious legal and ethical questions about the use of force and obligations under the law of armed conflict. (Time)
The White House defense
The White House has disputed allegations that Hegseth personally ordered an unlawful act and has defended the chain of command. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said the commander overseeing the operation, identified as Vice Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley, was “well within his authority” to order the second strike. (2Paragraphs)
Hegseth, for his part, has rejected accounts that suggest illegality, describing some reporting as inaccurate and asserting the strikes complied with the law of armed conflict and were reviewed through appropriate legal channels. (Al Jazeera)
A second front: transparency and the video
The controversy has widened beyond the strike itself to a fight over disclosure. Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling has publicly criticized Hegseth’s stated reasons for not releasing the video, arguing that sensitive details can be redacted and that withholding the footage under broad claims of classification is unconvincing. (The Daily Beast)
That dispute has sharpened tensions with Congress, where lawmakers from both parties have said they intend to conduct aggressive oversight into what happened and who authorized what. (2Paragraphs)
What happens next
Calls to dismiss a sitting defense secretary rarely gain momentum without clear corroboration or a major political break. But McCaffrey’s intervention signals that the argument is no longer only partisan: it is increasingly being framed as a question of lawful command, accountability, and transparency during an expanding U.S. counter-narcotics posture in the region. (AP News)
For now, the administration is standing by Hegseth, while lawmakers press for more evidence—especially the full video—and for a public accounting of the decision-making behind the September operation. (PBS)
