Senator Coons pushes Attorney General Pam Bondi on weaponizing the DOJ and unconstitutional boat strikes in fiery hearing

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) questioned Attorney General Pam Bondi during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today about carrying out President Trump's politically motivated prosecutions and the legality of recent U.S. military strikes which killed suspected cartel members off the coast of Venezuela.

At President Trump's command, the U.S. military has reportedly conducted at least four strikes on boats containing Venezuelan nationals suspected of carrying drugs, resulting in the deaths of 21 people. While all four strikes have occurred in international waters, President Trump has alluded to potential strikes on land, presumably on Venezuelan territory. Yesterday, CNN reported that the Trump administration has produced a "classified legal opinion that justifies lethal strikes against a secret and expansive list of cartels and suspected drug traffickers." It is unclear who is on the list, and whether it contains American citizens or green card holders.

"I'm concerned with what the limiting principle is - whether the government could summarily kill people it just declares are cartel members as well as unlawful combatants inside the United States, or if they were American citizens. This isn't about defending cartels. These aren't hypothetical questions," said Senator Coons.

Senator Coons raised concerns about a lack of information and transparency around the attacks and noted that the Trump administration appeared to have conducted lethal strikes without congressional approval or due process. He questioned Attorney General Bondi about the legal justification for the attacks and emphasized the danger of setting a precedent for summary killings.

"I'm deeply concerned about the authority our president seems to be asserting to summarily kill people suspected of criminal activity outside the law. As the chief lawyer for our federal government, you have a unique responsibility to ensure maintenance of our constitutional standards. How did you conclude that these strikes on ships or boats in the open ocean are legal?" asked Senator Coons.

Senator Coons also raised concerns about political weaponization at the DOJ after the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey last month, which came a week after President Trump demanded Attorney General Bondi indict Director Comey in Truth Social post. Senator Coons expressed his concern about how the DOJ will maintain its independence and remain free from President Trump's demands for the prosecution of specific individuals.

"I am gravely concerned about what is no longer a hypothetical question - which you refused to answer in your confirmation hearing - but is a real question, about when or if the president demands you prosecute individuals because he views them as opponents or enemies, what you will do and what your limiting standard is, because the recent episode around the indictment of James Comey left me very concerned about the direction of the department," said Senator Coons.

A video of Senator Coons' full comments is available below.

WATCH HERE.