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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is defending the Trump administration’s handling of recent strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats, accusing Democrats of trying to undermine efforts to combat the cartels.
"It speaks to the depravity of the Democrat Party that they have stooped so low, they are attacking our military leadership," Leavitt said Tuesday on "Fox & Friends."
"They are attacking the brave men and women who have conducted these strikes well within the law, following the orders from their commander-in-chief," she added.
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivers remarks in the White House press briefing room in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 1. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Her comments come as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth prepares to brief a small group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers on the situation with Venezuela. Democratic leaders have been openly critical of the White House’s strikes on alleged narco-terrorists, with several calling them "war crimes."
But Leavitt argues the Trump administration ran on taking tough action against drug smugglers and was elected by the American people.
"In 2024, the GOP platform at the Republican Party Convention, written by President Trump and his team, stated that we are going to quote, ‘Demolish foreign drug cartels.’ President Trump campaigned on this. He is delivering on it," she said.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivers remarks as he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio host their Australian counterparts for bilateral talks at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 8. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
There have been at least 22 strikes on suspected drug boats that have resulted in the deaths of dozens of people. A September strike drew intense pushback after the military launched a second strike that targeted survivors of the first.
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"We need to know what information Hegseth had before ordering the execution of everyone on that boat and if those onboard were properly identified. But the bigger question remains: Does it make Americans any safer to kill people without due process? I don’t believe it does," Sen. Mark Kelly wrote on X.
Hegseth is expected to brief the Gang of Eight Tuesday, along with other top Cabinet officials.
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"Every time President Trump and Secretary Hegseth and the White House are criticized for blowing up drug boats, we are thinking about Americans like Anne Fundner, who lost her 15-year-old son Weston to a drug overdose," Leavitt said.
"I think it’s great President Trump is finally paying attention to it and taking strong action."
Madison is a writer for Fox News Digital on the Flash team.
