“‘COWARD’ LIEU SHREDS HEGSETH FOR BLAMING ADMIRAL IN VENEZUELA STRIKE SCANDAL”
The Coward’s Defense: Ted Lieu Declares Hegseth’s Actions a War Crime and a Betrayal of Military Honor 🇺🇸
Representative Ted Lieu’s address to Congress was not a political attack; it was a devastating legal verdict delivered by a former JAG officer against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Lieu, leveraging his 25 years of military service, declared that the alleged second strike on defenseless shipwreck survivors in the Caribbean was not a mistake, but a war crime—a fundamental, unforgivable violation of the laws of armed conflict. His statement ripped away the political veneer, exposing an administration marked by dishonorable conduct, moral cowardice, and profound political hypocrisy.
The Unlawful Order and the Lack of Accountability
Lieu grounded his accusation in a core principle of military law: killing shipwreck survivors is a war crime.
He cited the Pentagon’s own Department of Defense Law Manual on the Law of War, which literally states that “orders to fire upon the shipwreck will be clearly illegal.” This is a non-negotiable legal threshold, not subject to political interpretation or deflection. By invoking this, Lieu ensured that the debate moved beyond policy failure to credible allegations of criminal liability.
The subsequent behavior of the Secretary of Defense, according to Lieu, was a masterclass in dishonorable conduct. Hegseth initially lied and denied the media reports of the strike. Then, when the White House confirmed the strike did happen, Hegseth shifted blame, pointing to Admiral Bradley as the officer who issued the order. Lieu justly condemned this move as throwing Admiral Bradley under the bus, a cowardly act of self-preservation that violates the fundamental code of military leadership, which dictates that responsibility flows upward.
Lieu’s judgment was final: “Shame on Pete Hegseth. He is a coward. He must resign.”
The Legal Imperative: No Statute of Limitations
Lieu ensured the administration understands the lasting consequences of their alleged actions, reminding them that “there is no statute of limitations for war crimes.”
His demand for the Department of Justice to conduct an investigation and hold all accountable, including Secretary Hegseth, is not a partisan request; it is a constitutional and legal obligation. If the Trump administration fails to pursue accountability, Lieu guarantees that a future administration will do so, ensuring that this breach of national honor will haunt the perpetrators indefinitely.
Lieu’s message to the members of the United States military was particularly powerful, contrasting the troops’ code of conduct—which demands not to lie and to accept responsibility—with the dishonorable conduct of their civilian leader. When the head of the department engages in such blatant deflection, trust is corroded, the integrity of the chain of command is broken, and service members are placed at legal exposure for actions they are ordered to perform.
The Hypocrisy of Political Priorities
Lieu brilliantly juxtaposed the life-or-death military scandal with the administration’s cynical domestic negligence, revealing a profound misalignment of priorities:
The Affordability Crisis: Lieu noted that Americans are struggling with a severe affordability crisis, with average prices for household goods skyrocketing 24%. This economic pain has driven the President’s approval to its “lowest level ever for a modern-day president,” yet the administration remains paralyzed.
Vanity vs. Necessity: Instead of addressing the economic pain or the crisis in command, President Trump is focused on enlarging his “Great Gatsby ballroom.”
Healthcare Betrayal: Lieu highlighted the looming catastrophe in healthcare: the failure to extend ACA tax credits will mean millions of Americans will either lose health insurance or face dramatically increased premiums.
This pattern demonstrates that the administration and its “rubber stamp Republicans” are distracted by vanity and political survival, while failing the American people on core issues of economic stability, healthcare, and military ethics. A leadership that cannot focus on affordability at home cannot be trusted to handle lawful force abroad.
Lieu’s fury and legal clarity serve as a final warning: the alleged murder of shipwreck survivors and the subsequent, transparent attempt to scapegoat a career military officer demand immediate, independent investigation. The refusal to act is not merely a political blunder; it is a moral and constitutional failure that stains the nation’s honor.
