Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, expressed uncertainty about whether he’d vote again to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if given a second chance, arguing there isn’t enough information about the top Defense Department official’s involvement in recent controversial boat strikes.
“That’s a question I can’t answer without as much thoughtful research as I did the first time I did that vote,” Curtis said in an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “If you go on what’s in the newspapers, it’s near impossible to know exactly what’s going on. We heard one day that he had put an order in to kill the survivors. The next day we’re hearing something else, and the next day we’re hearing something else.”
Curtis’ comments come after Hegseth has received criticism from Democrats in recent days over a strike against a drug boat in the Caribbean in September. Some lawmakers have been calling for an investigation into whether the second strike that killed the initial survivors was illegal.
Hegseth has since defended the strikes, backing a Navy admiral’s decision to initiate a second strike. However, the Defense secretary has denied releasing video footage of the attack.
“From what I understood then and what I understand now, I fully support that strike,” Hegseth said over the weekend while at the Reagan National Defense Forum. “I would have made the same call myself.”
Other Republican senators have similarly defended the decision, arguing the survivors were still on the vessel that needed to be hit again to ensure the cargo and the vessel itself was destroyed. But some Democrats say those defenses set a dangerous precedent.
Although Curtis stopped short of saying he disagrees with Hegseth’s leadership, the freshman senator did offer support for how Congress is pressing for more information.
“I will tell you I am pleased with Congress’ role of oversight. I think we’re doing a really good job of demanding answers and giving answers,” Curtis said. “I think Congress really wants to know exactly what’s happening and the real facts, not what’s reported in the newspaper.”
Curtis was one of 50 GOP senators to vote to confirm Hegseth as Defense secretary, a nomination that ultimately passed after Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie-breaking vote. The final tally of 51-50 made it one of the narrowest Cabinet confirmation votes in recent history — and only the second time a vice president has had to break a tie for a nominee.