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'If You Can Keep It': Trump And Matters Of Military Law

1A

NPR

News

4.44.3K Ratings

🗓️ 8 December 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

As of Thursday, the Pentagon says it’s attacked 23 boats and killed at least 87 people as part of the Trump administration’s campaign against drug trafficking in the Caribbean.

In the months since the first strike on Sept. 2, one question has emerged that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cannot seem to shake: Are these boat strikes legal?

The White House says yes. But several members of Congress, legal experts, and former defense and intelligence officials have their doubts. Questions also remain about whether it’s legal for President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard in cities across the country.

In this installment of our weekly politics series, “If You Can Keep It,” we convene a panel of experts on military law to help us find answers.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

This message comes from Bayer.

0:02.3

Science is a rigorous process that requires questions, testing, transparency, and results that can be proven.

0:09.5

This approach is integral to every breakthrough Bayer brings forward.

0:13.0

Innovations that save lives and feed the world.

0:15.8

Science Delivers.com. As of Thursday, the Pentagon says it's attacked 23 boats and killed at least

0:30.2

87 people as part of the Trump administration's campaign against drug trafficking in the

0:35.2

Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. In the month since the first

0:38.4

strike on September 2nd, one question has emerged in Washington that Defense Secretary Pete Hackseth

0:43.8

cannot seem to shake. Are these boat strikes legal? The White House says yes, but several

0:50.8

members of Congress, legal experts, and former defense and intelligence officials,

0:55.0

are casting doubts also disputed in Congress and, most importantly, in court, whether it's legal for

1:01.8

President Trump to deploy the National Guard in cities across the country, according to the

1:05.9

administration, to help with policing.

1:08.4

Today, for the latest installment of our weekly politics series,

1:11.7

if you can keep it,

1:13.0

we've convened a panel of experts on military law

1:15.4

to help us answer those questions and yours.

1:18.1

I'm Jen White.

1:19.0

And I'm Todd's Willick.

1:20.0

You're listening to the 1A podcast.

1:21.9

We get to all of it after this short break.

1:23.8

Stay with us.

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