The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell Lawrence on Hegseth strikes: Legal experts say nothing in U.S. law allows for use of deadly force
Dec 12, 2025
In this engaging discussion, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla highlights the recent federal ruling declaring Trump's deployment of the National Guard in California unlawful. He shares his personal encounter while questioning the deployment. Former Senator Sherrod Brown emphasizes the importance of affordability in economic policy, criticizing decisions shaped by special interests. Together, they explore the implications of these issues on upcoming elections, especially in light of recent polling that reveals a distressing drop in public approval for the economy.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Two Survivors Seen Clinging To Wreckage
- The live overhead feed showed two men clinging to wreckage about the size of a dining room table after the first strike.
- Thirty-plus minutes later Admiral Bradley ordered a second strike that killed those two survivors.
Counterterror Tactics Don't Fit Shipwrecked Targets
- Todd Huntley compares the operation's legal framing to counterterrorism practices used in armed conflicts.
- He stresses rules differ for shipwrecked persons, making the second strike legally fraught outside an armed conflict.
Inconsistent Treatment Of Survivors After Strikes
- The Pentagon later rescued survivors in other strikes, suggesting a possible change in practice after the September attack.
- That contrast intensifies questions about policy and inconsistent treatment of survivors.