Congress Threatens to Cut Hegseth's Travel Funds if Double-Tap Strike Video Isn't Released

Congress is considering a provision that would limit Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's travel budget unless he turns over unedited video of U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean, including a controversial Sept. 2 operation that killed all 11 people on board a suspected drug-running vessel.

A revised version of the annual defense policy bill released Sunday would restrict Hegseth's fiscal 2026 travel funds to "not more than 75%" until the videos are provided to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, as NBC News reports.

The requirement is part of a broader effort by lawmakers to obtain additional information about the boat strikes, which have sharply divided members of both chambers. The bill establishes defense priorities but does not authorize actual spending — which must be approved separately — and it remains unclear whether the language will survive amendment votes.

The inquiry centers on two strikes conducted hours apart on Sept. 2. The White House has said that the first strike left survivors and that a second was ordered by Navy Adm. Frank M. Bradley, then leading Joint Special Operations Command, based on intelligence confirming the group were legitimate targets. A written statement from an administration official said a uniformed judge advocate general provided legal guidance "every step of the way."

President Donald Trump on Monday distanced himself from previous comments during an interview with Politico, signaling openness to releasing the video. "I didn't say that," he told reporters, adding that he would leave the decision to Hegseth: "Whatever he decides is OK with me."

House and Senate Armed Services leaders of both parties have opened inquiries, saying they will conduct "vigorous oversight" into what happened. Some lawmakers and legal experts have raised concerns that if the second strike targeted individuals who were incapacitated after the first, it could constitute a war crime.

Hegseth has defended the broader campaign, posting that the strikes are meant to "destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people." The Pentagon has reported 22 known strikes in recent months, killing at least 86 people.