Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley told lawmakers that he was not given an order to kill all members of an alleged drug boat by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, said at the end of a classified briefing that Bradley was not given such an order, and the one he got was "written down in great detail."
However, Cotton's account stands in contrast with that of Rep. Jim Himes, the party's top lawmaker on the House Intelligence Committee, who said he was stunned.
Speaking to press after the briefing, Himes said Bradley has a storied career and he has my respect and he should have the respect of all of us."
However, he went on to say that "what I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things that I've seen in my time in public service."
"You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel, who were killed by the United States," he added.
Hegseth, who has been under intense scrutiny since reports about the second strike surfaced, has said he didn't stay after the first one, but defended the legality of the second one and said the decision was made by Bradley.
However, previous reports had noted that Pentagon officials are concerned that the Trump administration is throwing Bradley under the bus. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that Bradley "worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed."
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