NSL4A remains concerned by conflicting public accounts regarding the September 2, 2025, follow-on strike and urges Congress to continue its investigation of that incident and the overall conduct of Operation Southern Spear to ensure meaningful public accountability.

NSL4A condemns reporting that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the killing of defenseless survivors during a September 2nd operation, calling the actions potential violations of U.S. and international law and urging Congress to swiftly investigate and ensure accountability.

NSL4A reaffirms a foundational principle of American democracy: every member of the U.S. military, enlisted and officer, swears an oath to support and defend the Constitution above all else. This constitutional allegiance—and the duty to follow only lawful orders—is the bedrock of our civil–military tradition.

Retired Brigadier General Loree Sutton and former DoD official Jason Forrester testify at New York City Council hearing on “Protecting New York City from Federal Overreach.”

NSL4A condemned the Trump Administration’s lethal strikes on boats in South American waters as ineffective, unlawful, and carried out on inadequate intelligence, warning they destroy evidence, undermine international cooperation, and risk implicating U.S. servicemembers in potential war crimes. NSL4A urges Congress to reassert its authority to ensure counternarcotics operations are effective, legal, and consistent with maritime law.

NSL4A unequivocally condemned President Trump’s remarks suggesting U.S. cities be used as military training grounds, warning they threaten public safety, civilian control of the military, and the foundational principles of constitutional governance. Such statements risk normalizing the use of armed forces against American communities and undermine trust in the military’s role in a democracy.”

NSL4A strongly condemns President Trump’s deployment of National Guard forces to Portland, Oregon, as legally unjustified and a threat to democracy. The action disrupts Guard members’ training and readiness, undermining the nation’s ability to defend against real threats.

NSL4A filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit supporting California Governor Gavin Newsom’s challenge to the federalization of the state National Guard. The brief emphasizes the legal limits on presidential authority to seize state Guard units without a governor’s consent.

NSL4A announced its opposition to President Trump’s Executive Order granting the National Guard broad domestic law enforcement powers, calling it “ineffective, wasteful, and dangerous.” The action threatens U.S. democracy by eroding the longstanding separation between civilian policing and the military.

NSL4A urges restraint regarding the President’s plan to deploy up to 1,000 D.C. National Guard personnel, warning that using military forces in civilian policing risks blurring lines and eroding public trust. NSL4A also calls on Congress to exercise oversight to limit domestic military use.

NSL4A is calling on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees to investigate Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s sharing of sensitive military plans and to establish stronger oversight of all classified communications from national security leaders.

NSL4A Founder and President, retired Rear Admiral Mike Smith, issued a statement on Politico’s report revealing improper use of the encrypted messaging app Signal, calling for a bipartisan investigation into what critical information may have fallen into adversaries’ hands.

National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) is gravely concerned by recent reports that senior Trump Administration officials used the commercial encrypted messaging app Signal to share top-secret war plans.