Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is publicly shifting blame for the controversial "double-tap" military strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat to Navy Admiral Frank Mitchell Bradley. Hegseth called Admiral Bradley "an American hero" and claimed Bradley made the combat decisions regarding the strikes, including the second fatal strike that reportedly killed survivors. The White House and Pentagon statements also emphasize that Admiral Bradley operated within his authority and the law, passing responsibility for the operation to him rather than Hegseth directly ordering the lethal follow-up strike.

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