Video Dem Rep. Seth Moulton: Pete Hegseth is 'guilty' of war crimes Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., tells CNN's Erin Burnett that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is "guilty" of war crimes and links him to Nazis who were tried during World War II.
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., leveled heavy accusations against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, linking his actions to Nazis during World War II.
During Hegseth's testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, Moulton pressed him on the Trump administration's strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean, telling him it's a "war crime" under the Geneva Conventions to order the "murder" of remaining survivors on the boats.
Hegseth responded by telling Moulton the military abides by the "rules of engagement" and praised the effectiveness of his war fighters.
PETE HEGSETH HEADS TO CAPITOL HILL TO DEFEND TRUMP'S IRAN WAR AS 60-DAY CONGRESSIONAL DEADLINE LOOMS
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth testifies before the House Armed Services Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on April 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
In an interview with CNN's Erin Burnett, Moulton was asked whether he believed Hegseth was "guilty of war crimes."
"Absolutely," Moulton responded. "I mean, he's clearly behind the operation to shoot all these boats in the Caribbean when it's very unclear that we actually have any confirmation that these so-called 'narco terrorists,' a term the administration invented to justify this action, are even on the books. I mean, in fact, there's a lot of evidence that these are just fishermen, you know, getting jobs, piloting these boats, trying to feed their families. There's been press reporting on some of these individuals who have been killed who are clearly not war criminals."
"And on top of that, we then have the strike where they came back in and hit it again, a double tap, just purely to kill these survivors who were clinging to wreckage," he continued.
HEGSETH SCOLDS CNN'S 'UNSERIOUS' REPORT ON IRAN CONFLICT, SUGGESTS PARAMOUNT OWNER SHOULD OVERHAUL NETWORK
The Iraq War veteran then invoked a "historical analogy" on how the Allied countries had "tried Nazi submarine captains for doing this exact same thing" during World War II.
"And guess what the conclusion was? They got executed," Moulton told Burnett, adding "Listen to that, Mr. Secretary."
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to joseph.wulfsohn@fox.com and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.
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