Dear james,
According to The Washington Post, on September 2, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave an order: “Kill them all.”1
The U.S. government’s boat strike off the coast of Trinidad, the first of dozens based on what the Trump administration has claimed are "drug-trafficking vessels"—is drawing increased scrutiny. New reports indicate that Hegseth gave a secondary order to kill any and all survivors. If true, this is a complete and total violation of international law.2
Again and again, Hegseth has shown us exactly who he is: reckless, lawless, unaccountable, unqualified, and bloodthirsty. There’s no justification for him to remain in his post overseeing the largest military force on the planet. In light of these damning allegations, will you demand that Hegseth step down from his position as secretary of defense?
These people in office aren’t infallible. Together, our movement created a strong public pressure campaign against Elon Musk and the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE). And after public outcry and our organizing, Trump and Musk’s toxic relationship fell apart.3
Members of Congress from both parties are now investigating whether Hegseth personally gave the order that led to those deaths, which legal experts warn could amount to a war crime if it targeted incapacitated survivors. There was already speculation that Trump’s administration was operating in a legally gray area without congressional authorization for the first set of boat strikes.4
This order alone should be disqualifying for Hegseth. And it’s yet another tally on the list of Hegseth's reckless, warmongering agenda. Since September, the U.S. has carried out more than a dozen similar strikes on alleged narcotics vessels in the Caribbean and off Venezuela, killing more than 80 people in just a few months—with little transparency about who was killed or whether they actually posed an imminent threat.5
The Trump administration is still standing behind Hegseth, insisting that the strikes comply with the law of armed conflict while refusing to release basic information about who was killed or why survivors were targeted instead of rescued.6
Enough is enough. Hegseth should step down or be replaced TODAY.
Hegseth has dedicated his short time in office to creating a defense strategy that alienates the United States from allies and crafting international policy that’s increasingly lethal, xenophobic, and violent—thus the latest nearly $2 billion attempt to rebrand the Department of Defense to the “Department of War.”7
Our position on foreign policy can’t be constant cycles of endless war, which puts countless American lives at risk. A person so dedicated to ignoring legal advice around rules of engagement and ignoring war crimes should not be the secretary of defense.8
Even though Congress is finally buckling down with an investigation after some public pressure, we say it’s too little too late. Hegseth has been given too many passes by Congress and the Trump administration. He is, after all, the same person who shared sensitive and classified military information carelessly in a Signal group chat earlier this year and still kept his position in one of the most important departments in the U.S.9
Hegseth needs to be removed and replaced as secretary of defense. Full stop.
This matter isn’t about partisan politics, because Hegeth’s successor would inevitably be drawn from the MAGA world. But if we stay silent, we send a message that there is no line a defense secretary and a president can’t cross. So we need to make as much noise as possible and pressure members of Congress to protect their constitutional authority and force the Trump administration to meet our demands.
Thanks for all you do.
–MoveOn
P.S. This petition was created on MoveOn, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can start your own petition to push for progressive change here.
Sources:
1. “Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all,” The Washington Post, November 28, 2025
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/11/28/hegseth-kill-them-all-survivors-boat-strike/
2. Ibid.
3. "Inside the DOGE Succession Drama Elon Musk Left Behind,” Politico, November 21, 2025
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/11/21/doge-elon-musk-succession-00641110
4. “Lawmakers warn Hegseth may have committed war crimes following second-strike report,” Politico, November 30, 2025
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/30/war-crimes-hegseth-venezuela-strikes-00671160
5. Ibid.
6. “White House Gives Chilling Update on Hegseth’s ‘Kill Them All’ Order,” The New Republic, December 1, 2025
https://newrepublic.com/post/203815/white-house-leavitt-pentagon-hegseth-kill-them-all-order-boat-strikes
7. “Trump's Pentagon name change could cost up to $2 billion,” NBC News, November 12, 2025
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trumps-pentagon-name-change-cost-2-billion-rcna242438
8. “Hegseth Boasted About Ignoring War Crimes in His Own Book,” The New Republic, December 2, 2025
https://newrepublic.com/post/203851/pete-hegseth-bragged-commit-war-crimes-book
9. “Pentagon inspector general investigation into 'Signalgate' is complete,” NBC News, December 2, 2025
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/pentagon-inspector-general-investigation-signalgate-complete-rcna247030
PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG CIVIC ACTION
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