Public won't see Venezuela second strike video: Hegseth

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the Pentagon would not publicly release the much-discussed video showing a deadly second strike on an alleged drug boat off Venezuela on Sept. 2. Why it matters: Some Democrats and legal experts have described the strike on two survivors who were clinging to the boat as a war crime. The administration denies that, and President Trump initially said he had "no problem" making the video public before backtracking.What they're saying: Hegseth said the video would be shown to the House and Senate armed services committees on Wednesday, with Adm. Frank Bradley, whom Hegseth has said ordered the strike, on hand. Hegseth claimed declining to release the full video was a matter of "long-standing" Pentagon policy. He described the video as "top-secret."Scores of Democrats and several Republicans have urged the White House and Pentagon to release the video.What it shows: The second strike came around 30 mins after the first.At that point the boat had overturned, and two shirtless survivors were trying desperately to flip it back over, according to public accounts from lawmakers who have already seen the video.Then came the deadly second strike. Between the lines: The laws of armed conflict forbid targeting enemies who have been shipwrecked and are no longer active combatants. The Pentagon has claimed the two survivors could have righted the boat and continued transporting drugs, or communicated with others on shore to retrieve the cargo.Hegseth reiterated on Tuesday that conducting the second strike was "the right call."What to watch: Expect to hear reactions — and more calls for transparency — from Democrats on the two committees that will see the video tomorrow.