Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

Chuck Todd Blows His Lid Over Trump Admin Striking Terrorist Narco Boat

Screenshot/YouTube/ The Chuck ToddCast

Former “Meet The Press” moderator Chuck Todd became outraged on “The Chuck ToddCast” Monday over President Donald Trump’s administration striking drug-trafficking terrorists in the Caribbean Sea.

Trump announced on Sept. 2 that America’s strike sank a vessel belonging to Venezuelan drug cartel Tren de Aragua, with 11 members confirmed to have perished in the attack. Todd, on his podcast, likened the strike to Russian President Vladimir Putin launching his war against Ukraine.

WATCH:

“[T]aking out this ship, not boarding it, not sending the message that way, not arresting these individuals or boarding the ship or, frankly, to make sure you know what you know, they quote just decided to send a message,” Todd said. “This is what Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio said. And again, I know politically this is going to seem popular. Ends justifies the means. We’re getting rid of these bad narco traffickers. This is good. Venezuela, if [Venezuelan dictator Nicolas] Maduro’s upset, this is good. But we have a Constitution. We have a process.”

“We’re sitting here behaving no different than Putin’s been behaving in his region. He designated Ukraine as essentially a threat like this,” he added. “They were not. He used the word Nazis. And all of this has been his rationale for invading this country in their own sort of again claiming some version of self-defense. This is the same crap that Putin’s pulling, except he’s not in a democracy and we are!”

Trump designated various Latin American gangs as terrorist organizations in August and subsequently authorized the U.S. military to strike them.

“No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Sept. 2. “BEWARE! Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!!!!!! [sic].”

Independent Veterans of America founder Paul Rieckhoff also attacked Trump on MSNBC’s “Katy Tur Reports” Thursday over the strike.

“It’s alarming, it’s unprecedented and it’s dangerous. And it’s the latest example of how Trump continues to overextend and abuse military power,” Rieckhoff said. “I think it’s maybe the most important and one of the most underreported stories in America right now. He keeps pushing the boundaries to places we’ve never been before.”

Vice President JD Vance also clashed with liberal commentator Brian Krassenstein on X Saturday after Krassenstein accused the Trump administration of committing “a war crime” following the strike.

“I don’t give a shit what you call it,” Vance retorted.

Rubio on Wednesday told reporters in Mexico City that there would be more similar strikes in the future, according to The Washington Post.