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Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., warned that while the Trump administration and its supporters may enjoy bypassing red tape to kill alleged terrorists or drug smugglers now, they may regret letting President Donald Trump have this authority.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that the U.S. military killed 14 alleged narco-terrorists in a series of strikes against four suspected drug vessels in the Eastern Pacific.
"The Department has spent over TWO DECADES defending other homelands. Now, we’re defending our own. These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than Al-Qaeda, and they will be treated the same. We will track them, we will network them, and then, we will hunt and kill them," Hegseth declared.
But some critics have criticized the administration for attacking foreign civilians, whether purported criminals or not, without permission or informing Congress. Himes, a ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, was the latest to do so on MSNBC’s "Chris Jansing Reports."
SENATORS LOOK TO BLOCK TRUMP FROM ENGAGING IN ‘HOSTILITIES’ IN VENEZUELA
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn. appeared to warn that the Trump administration's use of power to attack alleged terrorists without congressional approval may someday be turned against them. (Tyler Olson/Fox News)
When asked if American military vessels in the Caribbean should be diverted to help those devastated by weather disasters in the Caribbean, "Yeah, Chris, I do. You know, it’s a long tradition of the United States — and the United States military — helping devastated areas. Of course, you know, the purported reason why the military is there, which is apparently to interdict drugs and to undertake these lethal attacks that we have been doing, that’s illegal. Those are illegal strikes. They have not been authorized by the Congress."
He argued that having naval ships off the coast of Venezuela, when the majority of the most hazardous drugs come from Mexico and Colombia, shows that the presence of the military there is "purely performative."
As for those killed in alleged anti-drug attacks off the coast of Mexico’s Pacific coast, killings which Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul argued were "extra-judicial," Himes said that there has not been enough evidence presented to discern whether these were narco-terrorists, human traffickers, or merely fishermen.
Host Chris Jansing noted that taking drugs off the street is a popular position, playing a clip of South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham daring Democrats to start a debate over such actions. Graham argued in the clip that not only does Trump have the authority to do such attacks, but that "I think most Americans are going to be with Trump."
HEGSETH ISSUES STARK WARNING TO DRUG TRAFFICKERS FOLLOWING US MILITARY STRIKE ON VENEZUELAN VESSEL
The U.S. killed six alleged drug traffickers on a boat in international waters near Venezuela, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (realDonaldTrump/Truth Social)
"If Lindsey Graham and other Republicans want to go the route of saying ‘It’s okay to kill people illegally, just so long as the American public supports it,’ the American public needs to really think that through," Himes said.
He went on to propose a scenario where Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., becomes president and is able to kill whomever she deems a terrorist.
"There will be a Democratic president someday. And all my MAGA friends cheering on these illegal killings need to imagine who gets killed when President Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says it doesn’t matter what the law says, she’s going to do what she’s going to do," Himes warned.
"So look, I work here. I understand the complete abnegation of principle and the complete thumbing of the nose at the rule of law. But I’d hope people like Lindsey Graham might not go that path, because it’s a very, very dangerous path for this country to go down," he added.
The White House responded to Himes' interview by telling Fox News Digital, "It’s shameful that Democrats are running cover for evil narcoterrorists trying to poison our homeland as over 100,000 Americans die from overdoses every year. The President acted in line with the laws of armed conflict to protect our country from those trying to bring poison to our shores, and he is delivering on his promise to take on the cartels and eliminate these national security threats from murdering more Americans."
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Rep. Jim Himes warned Republicans that they might have good reason to fear a future Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez presidency. (Charles Krupa/AP Photo)
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Fox News Digital also contacted Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for comment and did not receive an immediate reply.
Alexander Hall is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].
