A Navy admiral told lawmakers Thursday that there was no “kill them all” order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but grave questions and concerns remain as Congress scrutinizes an attack that killed two survivors of an initial strike on an alleged drug boat in international waters near Venezuela.

Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley “was very clear that he was given no such order, to give no quarter or to kill them all,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, as he exited a classified briefing.

While Cotton, a Republican, defended the attack, Democrats who were also briefed and saw video of the survivors being killed questioned President Donald Trump administration’s rationale and said the boat strike was deeply concerning.

“The order was basically: Destroy the drug

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