Donald Trump on Thursday brushed aside any criticism of his administration’s deadly strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels as he bluntly admitted: “I think we’re just going to kill people.”
Trump has in recent days vowed to continue the attacks on boats believed to be smuggling narcotics into the U.S. and has even suggested the strikes could expand to land targets. Some nine strikes have been carried out on boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. At least 37 people have died. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has slammed the attacks as “summary execution.”
Trump told reporters on Thursday that the White House will soon brief Congress on the operations. He suggested most lawmakers would support the actions “except for the radical left lunatics.”
He trashed the need for a formal declaration of war from Congress.
“Well, I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war,” he admitted to a reporter, adding, “I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. OK? We’re going to kill them, you know, they’re going to be, like, dead. OK.”
Critics were outraged by the remark:
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