Washington, D.C. — Last night, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joined MS NOW’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell to discuss the Trump administration’s military actions against Venezuela. The Senator called the strikes unconstitutional and warned they may constitute a war crime if U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered to kill survivors on the boat.
Schiff also called for an investigation into the events, arguing the American people deserve to know the full extent of what occurred. The Senator advocated for public hearings and disclosure of all related evidence.
View the full interview here.
Key Excerpts:
On the potential order by Hegseth to ‘kill everyone’ on the boat:
[…] If, indeed, Hegseth ordered for all these people to be killed, and the admiral acted on that order, whether Hegseth was in the room, or he wasn’t in the room, and I think you’re right to be entirely skeptical of any claim Hegseth makes about what he knew or didn’t know. But if he gave the order to kill everyone, then he is responsible for the killing of those survivors and a potential war crime.
On the Senator’s work to stop the Trump administration from these unlawful strikes:
[….] It’s part of the reason why Senator Kaine, myself, Rand Paul, have introduced resolutions and may introduce yet another to make it clear that Congress is not authorizing these actions. These actions expose our service members to physical harm. But as we made the case the last time we brought up one of these War Powers Resolution, it also exposes these service members to legal harm, to legal exposure, and now we see that so graphically with what’s taken place.
On Trump’s threats to strike Venezuela by land:
[…] I am concerned in the near term that the president saying he’s closing off, or trying to close off airspace above Venezuela is more leaning into statements that we’re going to strike land. This would be another potential opportunity for Trump to push this issue of a potential war crime off the front and center and bring about a conflict with Venezuela, to focus the country’s attention on that instead.
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