President Donald Trump has the right to act "as he sees fit" to protect the country, according to US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who defended recent military strikes on boats connected to suspected drug gangs on Saturday.
Speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Hegseth questioned possible violations of international law while rejecting condemnation of the strikes, which are said to have killed over 80 people.
He compared the endeavor to the reaction to the September 11, 2001 attacks and maintained that the actions were justified in order to safeguard American civilians.
"We will track you down and sink you if you carry narcotics into this country in a boat while working for a proscribed terrorist organization. In his keynote speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Hegseth stated, "Let there be no doubt about it."
"To protect the interests of our country, President Trump may and will take decisive military action as he sees right. No nation on the planet should ever question that. At least 87 people have reportedly died as a result of the most recent strike.
Legislators have asked for further information regarding the strikes' legal justification and whether US soldiers were told to carry out a second strike following an operation in September while authorities were aware that there were survivors.
Hegseth also compared suspected drug traffickers to Al-Qaeda, despite the fact that experts have identified important distinctions between the two and the tactics required to counter them.
His comments were made shortly after the administration unveiled its national security plan, which aspires to restore US dominance in the Western Hemisphere and portrays European allies as weak. Hegseth also emphasized in his address the need to use force rather than conflict to thwart China's ascent.
He reiterated Trump's promise to begin nuclear testing on par with China and Russia, a move that has taken many nuclear policy specialists by surprise.
Senior national security leaders from throughout the nation attended the event, which took place at the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in California. Hegseth claimed that Trump is Reagan's "true and rightful heir" in terms of pursuing a strong foreign policy by using his position.
He criticized Republican leaders following Reagan for their backing of Middle East conflicts and their unsuccessful attempts to establish democracy.
He also targeted those who argue that military readiness is seriously threatened by climate change. "The war department will not be distracted by democracy building, interventionism, undefined wars, regime change, climate change, woke moralising and feckless nation building," he stated.
