Sen Tammy Duckworth walks back claim she saw classified drug-boat strike video after calling it murder

Democrat Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth suggested Sunday that she had watched the classified video of the alleged narcotrafficking boat that was hit in a “double tap” strike, calling the action “essentially murder,” before later clarifying that she had not actually seen the classified footage.

Duckworth appeared on CNN’s State of the Union with host Dana Bash, where she sharply criticized Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. She argued the strike should not have been authorized by the Trump administration because “only Congress can decide that we can go to war, and there was no such declaration made.” Duckworth described the strike as illegal under both international and domestic law and said it amounted to “essentially murder with that double tap strike.”

Bash pressed her, saying, “That’s a very strong statement, murder. Does that constitute a war crime?” Duckworth answered yes, adding, “It’s illegal. However you put it, it’s all illegal.”

Bash then asked whether Duckworth had seen the video. “I have seen the video, and it is deeply disturbing,” Duckworth said.

Duckworth went on to accuse Hegseth of being the “least qualified secretary of defense” in history. Bash followed up again to clarify whether Duckworth had actually seen the classified material. “I just want to make sure that I get this accurate. You have seen the classified video of this particular strike, the first strike, and then the double tap, as it’s known?” Bash asked.

Duckworth then reversed her earlier claim. “No, I have just seen what’s been available in the media.” She added that she has “read the full report” but has “not seen the actual video.”

The Trump administration has faced continued criticism over the September 2 strike on a suspected drug boat that killed nine people. An earlier Washington Post report alleged that Hegseth ordered troops to “kill everybody” aboard, an accusation he has denied.