Sen. Ruben Gallego says Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug boats are ‘murder’

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ruben Gallego, Democrat of Arizona, said on “Meet the Press” that President Donald Trump’s decisions to strike suspected drug boats in the Caribbean were “murder.”

Asked if he thought the strikes complied with international law, Gallego replied: “No, it’s murder.”

“It’s very simple,” Gallego continued. “If this president believes they’re doing something illegal, then he should call in the Coast Guard. If there’s an act of war, then you use our military, and then you come and talk to us first. But that’s murder.”

Gallego’s comments come as the United States said it had carried out 10 strikes against suspected drug boats since September, killing dozens of people. Two of these strikes took place in the Eastern Pacific and eight in the Caribbean Sea. NBC News has not independently confirmed whether the boats were carrying drugs.

NBC News also previously reported that Democrats and Republicans in Congress were increasingly concerned about the lack of information about the strikes. Sen. Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, has criticized the strikes, saying last week on “Meet the Press” that the strikes “go against our whole tradition.” Earlier in October, the Senate rejected a resolution that would have required the administration to seek congressional approval before further strikes.

Trump said he didn’t “think we were necessarily going to ask for a declaration of war.”

“I think we’re just going to kill the people who bring drugs into our country,” he added last week. “We’re going to kill them. They’re going to be as good as dead.”

Late last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered an aircraft carrier strike group to the Caribbean Sea, nearly doubling the number of U.S. troops in the region to support Trump’s efforts against suspected drug activity.

Gallego hit back, emphasizing the impact of the strikes on foreign relations and U.S. troops.

“What he is doing is very dangerous both for our international relations, for our friends in South America and for these men and women who have to make these calls for a president who has no understanding of someone’s responsibility when it comes to making life and death decisions,” Gallego said. “It’s disgusting what he’s doing.”

Gallego also defended Democrats’ government shutdown strategy, saying their “goal right now is to keep costs low.” Democrats have been pushing for negotiations on the Affordable Care Act subsidies, which will expire at the end of the year, leading to higher health care premiums.

Asked how long Democrats were willing to continue the fight, Gallego said, “I’m not looking at the calendar. I’m looking at everyone’s personal pocketbook right now.”

Gallego is one of the few senators elected in a state that Trump won in 2024. He has never closed the door on a presidential bid. Asked by NBC News in March whether running for president had crossed his mind, Gallego replied: “Fuck, sure. I’m an elected official. It’s crossing my mind. Am I thinking about it right now? Absolutely not.”

He echoed those comments on Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” not ruling out an offer.

“I just told you earlier, I have to take care of these three kids first and make sure that we can get through to 2026, get inflation down, make sure that 24 million Americans don’t see their insurance premiums double starting November 1, and then maybe, maybe after that, I’ll start thinking about something like that,” he told moderator Kristen Welker.

His comments come after former Vice President Kamala Harris said in a BBC interview on Saturday that she could “possibly” be president one day. His comments came after he said his nieces would see a female president in their lifetime. When asked if it could be her, Harris said “maybe,” adding, “I’m not done.”

Asked if he would encourage Harris to run again, Gallego said he “wouldn’t rule her out” but would first want to know her policy positions.

“I thought she was a good candidate in 2024,” he said when asked if she would be a good candidate in 2028. “I think there are a lot of strong candidates in 2028. I think she would be a strong candidate in 2028 as well, and that will be up to the primary voter to decide.”