Pete Hegseth asked U.S. Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey to retire in October after Holsey expressed concerns about the legality of the Trump administration’s boat bombings in the Caribbean, according to a new report.
On Wednesday, the _Wall Street Journal_published a report that cited two unnamed Pentagon officials, who said Hegseth asked the admiral to step down in “a de facto ouster that was the culmination of months of discord between Hegseth and the officer” after Holsey expressed “concerns about the legality of lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.”
Shortly after, Hegseth announced that Holsey – the commander of U.S. Southern Command – would be retiring.
This is not some squishy left-wing guy. He’s been in a command position, no doubt participating in numerous bombing campaigns and drone strikes throughout his career.
Chopper pilot, and when the guy in charge of an entire carrier strike group capable of leveling a city tells you to cool it with the bombs, he’s saying so from experience that the only way things go is escalation from here.
More importantly, drug interdiction is not the Navy’s job and the Coasties have been arresting narcos, alive, for decades. This is straight up murder.
Or he knew Hegseth would throw him under the bus for the obvious violation of international law and he just wanted to save his own skin.
Probably also had inside knowledge of the long term plan to land troops on Venezuelian soil, and didn’t want his name part of that history chapter.