Tuesday morning news: December 2, 2025

Trump Administration confirms gunboat follow-up strike » Lawmakers from both parties are turning up the heat on the Trump Administration.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is at the center of it all. In September, The Washington Post reports Hegseth gave Seal Team Six a verbal order that led to a second strike on an alleged drug boat from Venezuela… after the first didn't kill the entire crew. Killing survivors at sea is a war crime.

The White House Monday did confirm the second strike, though President Trump says Hegseth did not order it.

TRUMP: Pete said he did not want them. He didn’t even know what people were talking about. So, we’ll look at- we’ll look into it… but no, I wouldn’t have wanted that. Not a second strike.

Though the White House denies The Post report on Hegseth, it is defending the strike order… saying it was done in self-defense and in accordance with laws governing armed conflict.

Lawmakers, however, aren’t so sure. Both Republican and Democratic Senate and House Armed Services leaders have sent bipartisan letters to the Pentagon… demanding a full accounting of the strike.

Oval Office Cabinet huddle on Venezuela » President Trump and top members of his Cabinet, meantime, huddled in the Oval Office Monday evening to discuss next steps on Venezuela.

The White House has recently sent more troops and warships to the Caribbean… in an effort to pressure that country to stop drug trafficking. President Trump also confirms he’s spoken by phone with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, but didn’t say what was discussed.

As U.S. lawmakers ratchet up scrutiny of the strikes on suspected drug boats in the region, the White House is facing increased pressure to release more information… especially on that September 2nd double strike.

The Trump Administration says Admiral Mitch Bradley, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, executed the second strike… and was acting within the authority granted to him by Defense Secretary Hegseth.

New post-D.C. shooting immigration restrictions » In the wake of an Afghan national shooting two National Guard members near the White House last week, the Trump administration is tightening immigration restrictions.

It’s postponing all asylum decisions, pausing visas for Afghans, and -for the moment- stopping migration from what the White House calls 19 ‘countries of concern.’

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says this will give the government time to reexamine Afghans who helped U.S. forces during the Afghanistan war… and were let into the country by the Biden administration.

NOEM: Many of these that came in even under this operation were people that never should have been here. They were not vetted before they came. People should be vetted before they come here. Joe Biden allowed people to get on airplanes and come here and said we’ll do that later.

The suspect in last week’s shooting was let in by the Biden administration, but granted asylum in April by the Trump administration.

By the way, good news on the wounded staff sergeant who survived the shooting. West Virginia’s governor says Andrew Wolfe’s condition has improved from critical to serious, and he is responsive.

Three of Schumer’s offices receive bomb threats » The Senate’s top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, says three of his New York offices have received bomb threats.

SCHUMER: The bomb threats against my offices came with the email subject line MAGA and from an email address alleging the 2020 election was rigged.

Schumer says the threats referenced his offices in Rochester, Binghamton, and Long Island. He also says law enforcement responded immediately, everyone’s safe, and that such threats have no place in our political system.

A law enforcement source confirmed police responded to Schumer’s Long Island office but couldn’t confirm details of the threat.

U.S.-Russia peace talks » U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is in Moscow today to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The subject of the talks: ending Russia’s war on Ukraine. President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is also there for the discussions.

This comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sounded optimistic notes Monday saying the Trump administration’s proposed peace plan ‘looks better’ after recent revisions.

Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko says one key sticking point is probably on the table during today’s U.S.-Russian talks.

MEREZHKO: Putin continues to insist on withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the remainder of the Donetsk Oblast, but which is totally unacceptable for us.

Russia controls most but not all of the Donetsk region after Ukraine says it illegally annexed it from Kyiv a few years ago.

Zelenskyy spent Monday in Paris meeting with French President Emanuel Macron.

The two men talked by phone with other European and U.S. leaders about issues like ensuring Ukraine’s security and independence. A potential peace deal could include Ukraine ceding some land… in exchange for security guarantees.

Nick and Mary will take a deeper dive into all this… in just a few minutes on the program.

Tennessee special election » It could be a close race in a normally deep red Congressional district in Tennessee today.

Polls show Democrat Aftin Behn competitive with Republican Matt Van Epps, who’s fighting to keep the seat in GOP hands after Congressman Mark Green’s resignation over the summer.

It’s a district President Trump carried by 22 points. House Speaker Mike Johnson was there campaigning Monday… working to get out the vote and avoid a loss that would narrow the GOP’s already-thin House majority.

MIKE JOHNSON: The problem is, when you have a deep red district, a lot of the people take for granted that the Republican or the conservative is going to win. And so, this is in the middle of a holiday, a lot of people aren’t even really aware this is on the ballot.

Johnson on Fox NewsChannel’s Will Cain Show. President Trump also held a virtual rally for Van Epps Monday.

Behn, meantime, held an online rally Monday with former Vice President Al Gore and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Former VP Kamala Harris also stumped for Behn last month.

I’m Mark Mellinger.

Straight ahead: the Trump Administration meets with leaders from Ukraine and Russia—hoping to broker peace. Plus, a visit to the U.S. Mint as the penny’s days come to an end.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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