What we covered
• Double-tap controversy: Top House and Senate lawmakers appeared divided along party lines after classified briefings with the admiral who oversaw a follow-up strike on an alleged Caribbean drug boat in September. Meanwhile, the US military said today it carried out another strike on a suspected drug boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing four people.
• Details on briefing: The two men killed as they held on to their capsized boat after the September strike did not appear to have communication devices, Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley told lawmakers, according to two sources with direct knowledge of his briefings.
• Redistricting race: Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will allow Texas to use a new congressional map favoring Republicans, handing President Donald Trump a win in his effort to maintain GOP control of Congress.
Our live coverage has ended. Get the latest here.
Rep. Adam Smith says video of follow-up boat strike was “very clear” and should be released
Democratic Rep. Adam Smith on Thursday said a video of a secondary strike against a suspected drug vessel in early September was “very clear” and should be released to the public, while disputing another GOP lawmaker’s characterization of the strike.
Earlier today, GOP Sen. Tom Cotton called the strikes “entirely lawful and needful,” and described seeing “two survivors trying to flip a boat, loaded with drugs bound for the United States, back over so they could stay in the fight.”
Smith called his Republican colleague’s characterization strike “patently ridiculous.”
“That’s patently ridiculous. I mean. That’s not true. Gosh, Admiral Bradley didn’t even pretend that that was the case. There was no way they were turning this boat back over. The boat was completely disabled,” Smith said.
In describing the video to Collins, Smith said the boat appeared to be split in half and that the two individuals weren’t signaling to anybody.
Top House and Senate lawmakers on Thursday received classified briefings with the admiral who oversaw the follow-up strike and were shown the video.
This post has been updated to correct Sen. Tom Cotton’s title.
Bongino addresses previous comments he made about pipe bombs planted ahead of Jan. 6 riot
Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI, addressed Thursday his previous statements suggesting that the FBI was complicit in planting pipe bombs in Washington ahead of the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, insisting that the agency bases its investigations on facts.
“We’re going to be guided by the facts as this thing goes forward,” he later added.
On his popular podcast in January, just months before he was sworn in, Bongino claimed the FBI knew the identity of the individual who planted pipe bombs near the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters, calling it “the biggest scandal in FBI history.” He also said the bombs were planted “to create a narrative that crazy MAGA people are trying to assassinate Kamala Harris.”
Bongino’s comments come hours after the FBI arrested a man from Woodbridge, Virginia, who investigators believe planted the pipe bombs. The suspect, Brian Cole Jr., has been charged with transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce and malicious destruction by means of explosion.
Noem confirms CNN reporting that the number of countries on Homeland Security’s travel ban list will increase
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed tonight that the Trump administration plans to increase the list of countries with a travel ban to the United States.
Noem told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that the list will include over 30 countries, without specifying the exact number. On Tuesday, CNN reported that the current list of 19 countries on the travel ban list will increase to now include between 30 and 32 countries.
She blamed the Biden administration for the current immigration crisis, including for a backlog of more than a million asylum cases.
“Even if people had wanted to come and claim asylum credibly, they couldn’t because the Biden administration was just allowing people to come here and allowing them a free-for-all at the United States and our territories and our country and then they weren’t vetting them and backlogging their cases,” Noem said.
She went on to say that the administration is reviewing “every single visa” and “every single asylum claim,” and alleged widespread fraud by Somali immigrants, who have been regularly disparaged by President Donald Trump.
“If it was given out during the Biden administration, we are going to look at it and if it is fraud, Laura, we are going to remove those people from our country,” Noem said.
US strikes suspected drug boat in Eastern Pacific amid heightened scrutiny over September attack
The US military carried out a strike today on a suspected drug boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing four people on board, according to a social media post from US Southern Command.
Alongside the post is a 21-second-long video showing the boat being struck.
The strike comes as the Pentagon is facing bipartisan criticism over a September attack on an alleged drug vessel in which the military fired follow-up strikes, killing surviving crew members.
How Trump is leaving his name all over the capital city
It’s traditional to wait for a person to die, or at least be out of the arena, before naming too much after them.
Not so in today’s Washington, where President Donald Trump wants to put his name all over the place.
A Center for the Arts: The Kennedy Center was unveiled in 1971, years after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Trump referred to it today as the “Trump-Kennedy Center,” a not-so-subtle slip of the tongue referring to an ongoing effort.
A Center of Peace: Trump made those comments at an event where leaders from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a peace deal at the former US Institute of Peace. It’s an organization Trump’s administration has literally gutted, but which he renamed the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.
A Stadium: RFK Stadium, the once and future home of the Washington Commanders, was only re-named after a Kennedy in 1969, after Robert F. Kennedy was also assassinated. It’d be “beautiful” to rename the stadium for Trump when it’s rebuilt, according to his allies.
A Ballroom: Supporters would also like to name the massive ballroom set to replace the demolished East Wing of the White House after Trump.
Something for the kids: Lawmakers named taxpayer sponsored investment accounts for American kids “Trump Accounts,” which must smart for the Democrats who endorsed the progressive idea years ago.
$1 coin: There’s talk of putting Trump’s likeness, already on banners on government buildings, on a commemorative coin. That’s despite an actual law that prevents the celebration of living people on legal tender.
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Catch up on today's other top politics news
It’s been a busy day in Washington, between rising scrutiny over strikes on alleged drug boats and President Donald Trump signing a peace deal alongside the presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
But here are some other stories you might have missed. Click on the links to read our full reporting:
- Obamacare subsidies: Congress faces a December 31 deadline to address enhanced health care subsidies before premiums skyrocket for tens of millions of Americans next year.
- Redistricting race: The Supreme Court allowed Texas to use a congressional map that will boost Trump’s effort to keep Republicans in control of Congress.
- Troops in DC: A federal appeals court temporarily froze a judge’s ruling that would have required National Guard troops deployed in Washington, DC, to leave.
- No Letitia James indictment: A grand jury voted against indicting New York Attorney General Letitia James after being asked to look at the mortgage fraud case against her a second time, according to multiple people familiar.
- Mortgage-fraud referrals investigation: The Government Accountability Office has opened an investigation into Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte over possible misuse of authority.
- Signal and Pete Hegseth: In an unclassified report, a Pentagon watchdog said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information that could have endangered US troops through his use of Signal to discuss attack plans. CNN reported on the classified report yesterday.
- CDC vaccine guidelines: Vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention delayed a vote on possible changes to hepatitis B vaccination for newborns. Catch up on our live coverage.
- Trump’s ballroom: The president has hired a new architect for the White House ballroom after having issues with his first pick, several sources have told CNN.
- FIFA award: Trump is expected to win the new FIFA Peace Prize when he attends the World Cup draw tomorrow alongside leaders from co-host nations Mexico and Canada.
CNN’s Ben Church, Samantha Delouya, Zachary Cohen, Kristen Holmes, Samantha Waldenberg, Sarah Ferris, Devan Cole, Katelyn Polantz, Kaitlan Collins and Holmes Lybrand contributed reporting to this post.
Top Intel Democrat wants more before weighing in on legality of strikes, but calls video "very troubling"
Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he wants more information on the controversial follow-up attack on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat before weighing in on it’s legality and the role of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, though he recounted “troubling” video shown in a briefing with Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley.
Asked by CNN if he agrees with Senate Intelligence Chair Tom Cotton that the attack was lawful, Warner responded, “I think the video was very disturbing. I am not going to weigh in on all of the questions about lawful morality judgments, until I get all the information,” saying he “can’t think of a more serious accusation” than war crimes.
Warner said he continues to have concerns about “this pattern from Secretary Hegseth of putting our uniform military in harm’s way or under duress,” citing the recent watchdog report about the Pentagon chief’s use of a messaging app to share sensitive war plans and the evolving narratives shared by the administration about the boat strikes.
“I think it doesn’t do the Secretary or our Armed Forces any service by holding back and not being transparent,” he said, warning that the remaining flotilla of US ships off the coast of Venezuela could put troops “potentially in harm’s way” and “doesn’t treat them with, I think, the appropriate transparency and directness they deserve.”
Warner told reporters the video shown in the briefing was “very disturbing” and all of Congress should be able to view it. The administration’s legal opinion underlying the attacks, he said, should be released “publicly.”
Pressed on if he believes, based on what he saw in the video, the survivors of the first attack presented a threat to the US, Warner responded, “I’m going to say what the video was very troubling, and I think more people need to see it, but I want to better understand the process, justification and some of the items.”
Asked if he believes Hegseth is ultimately responsible for the strikes, Warner responded, “these are the kind of questions that that still need to be answered.”
Judge grants union's emergency request to stop Trump administration layoffs of foreign service officers
US District Judge Susan Illston has granted two unions’ emergency request for a temporary restraining order halting the State Department’s plans to lay off more than 250 foreign service and civil service workers on Friday.
The action is in violation of the short-term funding plan that Congress approved last month to reopen the federal government after a record-long shutdown, according to a supplemental complaint filed yesterday by the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Foreign Service Association. One measure barred the Trump administration from implementing any reductions-in-force, or RIFs, through the end of January.
The looming layoffs are part of a sweeping reorganization at the State Department, during which 246 foreign service officers and more than 1,000 civil service officers were given reduction-in-force notices. This week, the foreign service officers received emails saying firings would be finalized on December 5.
A State Department spokesperson said the language in the continuing resolution doesn’t apply to these terminations “since the State Department’s lawful reduction in force (RIF) process was commenced and initiated well before the lapse in appropriations.”
“Legal opinions published by both OMB [Office of Management and Budget] and DOJ [Department of Justice] confirm that outcome. The State Department will proceed with executing the RIF process as planned,” the spokesperson said.
During the shutdown, several federal agencies issued RIF notices to thousands of workers. Illston halted the layoffs, calling them unlawful.
Hegseth ignores shouted questions about Caribbean strikes, Signal use
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth smiled and ignored shouted questions from CNN today regarding the potential release of the full video of US military strikes on an alleged drug boat on September 2.
Hegseth met this afternoon with Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson. After giving opening remarks, CNN asked Hegseth if he would release the full video of the “double-tap” strike in the Caribbean, a step President Donald Trump has said he would support. The strikes have come under intense scrutiny and were the topic of closed-door hearings on the Hill today with key committee lawmakers and the military officer who oversaw the strikes, Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley.
Hegseth did not answer the question but turned and smiled at the press.
When asked if he stood by his use of the Signal messaging app, after a Pentagon inspector general’s report published Thursday found he had risked compromising sensitive military information that could have put US troops in danger, Hegseth smiled again and did not answer.
Lawmakers attend briefing with top military official about double-tap strike. Here’s what you should know
More than two months after a reported double strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean that killed surviving crew members, lawmakers had a private briefing today with Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley, a career Navy SEAL with over 30 years of military experience who oversaw the attack.
Here’s what you should know about the boat strikes controversy:
Lawmakers divided: Top House and Senate lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after the private briefing, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a congressman. But the panel chairman, Republican Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas, said that he thought the second strike was justified. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, also a Republican from Arkansas, called the strike “entirely lawful and needful.” But most top lawmakers on the Armed Services Committees mostly declined to comment.
On Hegseth’s alleged role: North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis told CNN that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is responsible for the processes that led to the killing of the boat strike survivors. But after the briefing, House Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford told CNN that he is “confident” in Hegseth. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Hegseth “serves at the pleasure of the president” even as he acknowledged the another controversy involving the defense secretary, about his use of the Signal app earlier this year, was a “mistake” that should not be repeated.
Some context: The US military has killed at least 83 people in strikes that have destroyed 22 boats as part of a campaign that Washington says is aimed at curtailing the flow of drugs into the United States. See a timeline of the strikes here.
CNN’s Haley Britzky, Zachary Cohen, Catherine Nicholls, Natasha Bertrand, Michael Rios, Avery Schmitz, Matt Stiles, Ellis Kim, Morgan Rimmer, Annie Grayer, Ted Barrett, Jenna Monnin, Sarah Ferris contributed reporting.
Ukrainian officials are in the US to get information about Washington’s talks with Russia, Zelensky says
Ukrainian officials are visiting the United States to obtain “full information” about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting this week with a US delegation aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Remember: A US delegation led by special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss the US proposal to end the war, but the talks failed to yield a breakthrough.
Zelensky said his country was “ready for any scenario” amid the fresh negotiations.
“Only a dignified peace means real security, and we are fully aware that this requires the support of our partners now and in the future,” Zelensky added.
Top GOP lawmaker says strikes were “entirely lawful and needful" after briefing on double-tap strike
The chairman of Senate Intelligence Committee issued a fierce defense of the September double-tap strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean, following a briefing with Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Dan Caine.
“The first strike, the second strike and the third and the fourth strike on September 2nd were entirely lawful and needful, and they were exactly what we’d expect our military commanders to do,” chairman Tom Cotton said.
Asked what he saw reviewing video of the second strike, Cotton told reporters, “I saw two survivors trying to flip a boat, loaded with drugs bound for the United States, back over so they could stay in the fight.”
He continued, “And just like you would blow up a boat off of the Somali coast or the Yemeni coast, and you’d come back and strike it again if it still had terrorists and it still had explosives or missiles, Admiral Bradley and Secretary Hegseth did exactly what we’d expect them to do.”
Cotton also told reporters Admiral Bradley “was very clear” he was not given an order to “kill them all” or not give quarter.
“Admiral Bradley was very clear that he was given no such order, not to give no quarter or to kill them all. He was given an order that, of course, was written down in great detail, as our military always does,” he said.
"Cold case" of pipe bomber has been solved, Attorney General Bondi says
As lawmakers on Capitol Hill continue to be briefed on the US boat strikes in the Caribbean, elsewhere in the city, the Department of Justice made a major announcement regarding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot pipe bomber investigation.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced today that Brian Cole Jr., the man accused of planting viable pipe bombs outside the DNC and RNC offices the night before the 2021 attack, has been federally charged with using an explosive device.
The years-long investigation is still ongoing, Bondi said, adding that investigators were still executing search warrants and that more charges could be brought against Cole.
She slammed former President Joe Biden’s Justice Department for failing to make an arrest sooner, saying that the “cold case languished for four years.”
Rwandan and DRC presidents allude to difficult path ahead after signing peace deal alongside Trump
The presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo alluded today to a difficult path ahead after signing a peace deal alongside President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, to end a decades-long conflict.
“There will be ups and downs on the road ahead,” Kagame continued. “There is no doubt about it. Rwanda, I know, will not be found wanting. I can assure you of that.”
“The Democratic Republic of Congo will fully play its part with dignity, with consciousness and consistency and with the support of our partners, we will remain watchful, vigilant but not pessimistic,” Tshisekedi said. “We’ll be clear eyed but resolutely optimistic.”
Though Rwanda and the DR Congo signed an agreement to end the war back in June under US guidance, that deal did not put an end to fighting in eastern DR Congo.
Democratic lawmakers press CEOs on Trump ballroom donations
Nearly a dozen Democratic lawmakers sent letters today to executives from seven companies — including Amazon, Apple and Meta — asking for more information about their donations to President Donald Trump’s planned ballroom, including whether they were seeking “favorable treatment from the federal government.”
Among the questions the lawmakers asked the executives from Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Union Pacific Railroad are:
- why they decided to donate to the ballroom
- who made the decision
- how much they donated
- and whether they discussed the donation with Trump or any administration or campaign official.
The members of Congress who sent the letters include Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, Richard Bluementhal, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and Reps. Dave Min, Mark Taken, Hank Johnson, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Andre Carson, Dan Goldman and Yassamin Ansari.
“This is the most corrupt presidential administration in history,” Min said in a statement to CNN. “And while this Department of Justice may not be enforcing any laws against Trump’s benefactors, corporations need to know we are watching closely. The rule of law still exists in this country and anyone who participates in pay-to-play should consider themselves on notice.”
The president hosted some of the donors for a dinner at the White House in October. Days later, demolition of the White House East Wing began to make room for the proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which the president has said would cost “about $300 million.”
Trump joins presidents of DR Congo and Rwanda for peace deal signing
President Donald Trump is joining the presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on Thursday for a ceremonial signing of a peace deal intended to stop decades of fighting in eastern Congo.
Trump announced that the deal, which he said formalizes terms agreed to in June, is called the Washington Accords.
Trump hosted the foreign ministers of each nation in June, when they signed what the US president called “a wonderful treaty.” But deadly fighting in the region has persisted in the months since Trump touted that agreement.
For the US president, however, this is another moment to herald his efforts to end conflicts around the world. Thursday’s signing is being held at the former US Institute of Peace building, which the State Department renamed for Trump on Wednesday, after his administration gutted the independent agency earlier this year.
Trump said Wednesday the newly signed compact would include a “permanent ceasefire, the disarmament of non-state forces, provisions for refugees to return to their homes, and justice and accountability for those who have committed illegal atrocities.”
A key tenet of the agreement is that it will open up some of the region’s critical minerals for the US government and American businesses as well as energy cooperation, a Trump administration official said.
Trump also touted bilateral agreements the US is signing with each country to “unlock new opportunities for the United States to access critical minerals.”
“And we’re going to take out some of the rare earth, take out some of the assets, and pay, and everybody is going to make a lot of money,” Trump said.
CNN’s Alayna Treene contributed to this post.
First lady Melania Trump touts progress in effort to return Ukrainian children
First lady Melania Trump announced that seven more Ukrainian children allegedly abducted by Russia have been returned to their families, heralding what she has described as “unwavering” dedication to the effort, despite some concerns from advocates.
“My dedication to guaranteeing the safe return of children to their families in this region is unwavering. I commend the leadership and persistent diplomacy of Russia and Ukraine in the pursuit of the reunification of children and families,” Trump said in a press release announcing the release of the children, six boys and one girl.
Remember: Trump announced earlier this year that she was working through direct communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with backchannel meetings and calls with the Kremlin on the issue, touting the release of eight Ukrainian children in October.
More context: Some advocates who have lauded the children’s return also raised concerns in conversations with CNN about the way the first lady got involved — and especially her passive-voice characterization of how the children ended up in Russia, fearing that it will only end up playing to Putin.
“Everyone is moving very carefully, but everyone is clear on the point that the first lady’s office needs to hear: Thank you — but it is 35,000 kids, not seven or eight,” Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, told CNN at the time. Raymond’s Ukraine Conflict Observatory is operating on private donations through the end of the year after the Trump administration cut its funding.
Top lawmakers remain tight-lipped about classified briefings on boat strikes
Following classified briefings on the US military’s second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, top lawmakers on the Armed Services Committees mostly declined to comment on the meetings this morning.
Rep. Mike Rogers, chair of the House Armed Services Committee, did not share any information from the briefing and told CNN he was “running late for a meeting.”
Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, told CNN, “yes,” he’s pushing for an additional briefing with the full committee, but Smith did not provide further information, saying he would instead release a statement.
Sen. Roger Wicker, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also declined to comment on the briefing, saying “I’m going to withhold comment at this point.”
Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley will continue to brief top lawmakers throughout the day.
Senate GOP leader doesn't defend Hegseth but says it's up to Trump if he stays on the job
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “serves at the pleasure of the president” even as he acknowledged the Signal controversy was a “mistake” that should not be repeated.
“He serves at the pleasure of the president, and again, I think that ultimately, the metric by which I would measure is: are we safer today? And I think that arguably, you look at the prior administration, I don’t think there’s any question about that,” he said when asked if it was appropriate for Hegseth to continue to lead the department after the DOD Inspector General found he endangered troops though his actions.
He was pressed by CNN if the country would be even safer if someone other than Hegseth, who has been battered by controversy, was in charge, but he didn’t directly answer.
“The Signalgate issue, I think, everybody’s acknowledged was a mistake. Hopefully, they’ve learned from it and can do it better,” he said. “But again, he serves at the pleasure of the president, and I think as I observe what’s happening both here at home and around the world, I think our country and our world are safer places because of this administration’s leadership.”
