Shamita Basu

By Monday, Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt read a scripted statement which acknowledged the strike had in fact happened, but she denied that Hegseth gave the order for that second strike, instead naming a Navy admiral.

That statement from Levitt prompted some officials in the Defense Department to speak with Post reporters anonymously, saying they were angry that Hegseth hadn't taken more ownership.

The Post's original report suggested military officials carried out a second strike to comply with an order from Hegseth to kill everybody on board.

At yesterday's televised cabinet meeting, reporters put the issue to Hegseth directly.

And Hexeth emphasized that he supported the move.

President Trump's tone also changed.

On Sunday, he told reporters he, quote, wouldn't have wanted a second strike.

But at the cabinet meeting, he said this.

The alleged second strike targeting survivors is now drawing intense bipartisan scrutiny in Congress.

Republican Senator Roger Wicker, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, has said that he's seeking audio and video recordings in an effort to get a better understanding of how to proceed with an inquiry.

Meanwhile, his Democratic counterpart, Senator Jack Reed, explained why they're seeking this on CNN.

On Thursday, Navy Admiral Bradley heads to Capitol Hill for a closed-door session with lawmakers, where he's expected to face questions on what exactly happened that day.

The White House's increasing focus on Central and South America goes beyond military force.

It's political, too.

Honduras is in the middle of a tense election, but it's been words and actions from President Trump that have been dominating the political conversation in the country.

This week, Honduras' former president, Juan Orlando Hernandez, walked free from a U.S.

prison after President Trump pardoned him.

He had been convicted last year of conspiring with drug traffickers, importing massive amounts of cocaine into the U.S.

Authorities called it one of the biggest and most violent drug trafficking conspiracies in the world, and he'd been sentenced to 45 years in prison.

But Trump was unconvinced by the charges, and he defended his clemency decision to reporters on Sunday.