New Photo - Your guide to the biggest Las Vegas residencies of 2026: No Doubt, Dolly Parton, Jennifer Lopez, ...

Here are all the artists who'll be holding court in Sin City next year. Your guide to the biggest Las Vegas residencies of 2026: No Doubt, Dolly Parton, Jennifer Lopez, and more Here are all the artists who'll be holding court in Sin City next year. By Emlyn Travis :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/EmlynTravisauthorphotocba6765b433b4f93b9398d18053153b1.jpg) Emlyn Travis is a news writer at . She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME. EW's editorial guidelines on December 1, 2025 11:25 a.m.

Here are all the artists who'll be holding court in Sin City next year.

Your guide to the biggest Las Vegas residencies of 2026: No Doubt, Dolly Parton, Jennifer Lopez, and more

Here are all the artists who'll be holding court in Sin City next year.

By Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis author photo

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and *NME*.

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on December 1, 2025 11:25 a.m. ET

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Gwen Stefani; Dolly Parton; Jennifer Lopez

Gwen Stefani; Dolly Parton; Jennifer Lopez. Credit:

Amy Sussman/Getty; Jason Kempin/Getty; Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty

Only a few months remain in 2025, but several Grammy-winning artists are already making plans to host Las Vegas residencies next year.**

Whether you want to sing "Everybody" with the Backstreet Boys or beg Jolene not to steal your man with Dolly Parton or walk in the spiderwebs of the long-awaited reunion of No Doubt, there's a concert for just about everyone hitting the strip. **

Don't believe us? Just take a look at the list below to find out everything you need to know about some of the biggest performances of 2026, including how to snag tickets.

Leona Lewis: A Starry Night

Leona Lewis performs on stage at the amfAR gala Venezia 2023 presented by Mastercard and Red Sea International Film Festival on September 03, 2023 in Venice, Italy

Leona Lewis performs in 2023.

Victor Boyko/amfAR/Getty

**Artist:** Leona Lewis

**When:** Jan. 2, 3

**Where:** Voltaire at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas

**Tickets:** See Voltaire

Backstreet Boys: Into the Millennium

Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, AJ McLean, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson of the Backstreet Boys perform during the 2024 Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 04, 2024 in New York City.

Backstreet Boys' Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, and Kevin Richardson perform at the 2024 Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony in December 2024.

Michael Loccisano/Getty

**Artist:** Backstreet Boys

**When: **Jan. 2, 3 and Feb. 5, 6, 7, 11, 13, 14, 15

**Where:** Sphere

**Tickets:** Visit the Backstreet Boys' website

Jennifer Lopez: Up All Night Live In Las Vegas

US singer and host Jennifer Lopez performs onstage during the 51st American Music Awards at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2025.

Jennifer Lopez performs in May 2025.

ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty

**Artist: **Jennifer Lopez

**When:** Jan. 2, 3 and March 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28

**Where: **The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

**Tickets:** Visit Ticketmaster

John Fogerty: Live in Las Vegas

John Fogerty performs during day four of Glastonbury festival 2025

John Fogerty performs in June 2025.

Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty

**Artist: **John Fogerty

**When: **Jan. 2, 3 and March 18, 20, 21

**Where: **PH Live at Planet Hollywood

**Tickets:** Visit Ticketmaster

Blake Shelton: Live in Las Vegas

Blake Shelton performs onstage at the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards at The Star in Frisco on May 16, 2024 in Frisco, Texas.

Blake Shelton performs in 2024.

John Shearer/Getty

**Artist: **Blake Shelton

**When:** Jan. 15, 18, 21, 23, 24, 28, 30, 31

**Where: **The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

**Tickets: **Visit Ticketmaster

Zac Brown Band: Love & Fear at Sphere in Las Vegas

The Zac Brown Band performs onstage after the NASCAR Xfinity Series

The Zac Brown Band performs in July 2025.

James Gilbert/Getty

**Artist: **Zac Brown Band

**When: **Jan. 16, 17

**Where:** Sphere

**Tickets: **Visit Zac Brown Band's website

Zayn: Las Vegas

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Zayn Malik performs onstage during the ZAYN: Stairway To The Sky Tour at The Anthem on January 21, 2025 in Washington, DC

Zayn Malik performs in January 2025.

Kevin Mazur/Getty

**Artist: **Zayn

**When: **Jan. 20, 21, 24, 25, 28, 30, 31

**Where: **Dolby Live at Park MGM

**Tickets: **Visit Ticketmaster

Styx: The Las Vegas Residency

Terry Gowan, Will Evankovich, James "JY" Young and Tommy Shaw of Styx performs during the 2025 North American Tour at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre on June 09, 2025 in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Styx members Terry Gowan, Will Evankovich, James 'JY' Young, and Tommy Shaw perform in June 2025.

Thomas Cooper/Getty

**Artist: **Styx

**When: **Jan. 23, 24, 28, 30, 31

**Where: **The Venetian Theatre at the Venetian Resort

**Tickets: **Visit Ticketmaster

Eagles at Sphere

The Eagles. Vince Gill, Timothy B. Schmit, Don Henley, Deacon Frey and Joe Walsh perform at Madison Square Garden on September 07, 2023 in New York City.

Eagles members Vince Gill, Timothy B. Schmit, Don Henley, Deacon Frey, and Joe Walsh perform in 2023.

Kevin Mazur/Getty

**Artist:** Eagles

**When:** Select weekends in January, February, and March

**Where: **Sphere

**Tickets:** Visit the Eagles' website

Def Leppard: Live at Caesars Palace The Las Vegas Residency

Rick Savage of Def Leppard performs onstage during the "Summer Stadium" tour at Truist Park on July 13, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Def Leppard's Rick Savage performs in 2024.

Paras Griffin/Getty

**Artist: **Def Leppard

**When: **Feb. 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, 28

**Where: **The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

**Tickets: **Visit Def Leppard's website

Collective Soul

 Ed Roland (LC) of Collective Soul performs at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre on July 22, 2025 in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

Collective Soul's Ed Roland performs in July 2025.

Scott Legato/Getty

**Artist: **Collective Soul

**When: **Feb. 4, 6, 7

**Where: **The Venetian Theatre at the Venetian Resort

**Tickets: **Visit Ticketmaster

New Kids on the Block: The Right Stuff Las Vegas Residency

Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood of New Kids On The Block perform onstage during Audacy's 11th Annual We Can Survive at Prudential Center on September 28, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey

New Kids on the Block members Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood perform in 2024.

Manny Carabel/Getty

**Artist: **New Kids on the Block

**When: **Select dates in February, June, July, and October

**Where: **Dolby Live at Park MGM

**Tickets: **Visit Ticketmaster

Illenium Presents Odyssey

Illenium, aka Nicholas Daniel Miller, performs at Fabrique on October 13, 2023 in Milan, Italy.

Illenium, a.k.a. Nicholas Daniel Miller, performs in 2023.

Sergione Infuso/Corbis via Getty

**Artist: **Illenium

**When: **March 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14 and April 2, 3, 4

**Where: **Sphere

**Tickets: **Visit Ticketmaster

Foreigner: The Hits Orchestral - Celebrating 50 Years Live in Vegas

Kelly Hansen and Bruce Watson of Foreigner perform at Ryman Auditorium on August 18, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee

Foreigner's Kelly Hansen and Bruce Watson perform in 2021.

Terry Wyatt/Getty

**Artist: **Foreigner

**When: **March 6, 7, 11, 13, 14

**Where:** The Venetian Theatre at the Venetian Resort

**Tickets: **Visit Ticketmaster

The B-52s Love Shack: The Las Vegas Residency

The B-52's - JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!

The B-52s perform on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'.

Randy Holmes via Getty

**Artist: **The B-52s

**When: **April 22, 24, 25

**Where: **The Venetian Theatre at the Venetian Resort

**Tickets:** Visit Ticketmaster

Cyndi Lauper: Live in Las Vegas

Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper performs in October 2025.

Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty

**Artist: **Cyndi Lauper

**When: **April 24, 25, 29 and May 1, 2

**Where: **The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

**Tickets: **Visit Ticketmaster

Gwen Stefani of No Doubt performs onstage during the FIREAID Benefit Concert for California Fire Relief at The Kia Forum on January 30, 2025 in Inglewood, California.

No Doubt's Gwen Stefani performs in January 2025.

Scott Dudelson/Getty

**Artist: **No Doubt

**When: **May 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16, 21, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30

**Where: **Sphere

**Tickets: **Visit Ticketmaster

Goo Goo Dolls

John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls performs at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre on August 16, 2025

John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls performs at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre on August 16, 2025.

Scott Legato/Getty

**Artist: **Goo Goo Dolls

**When: **May 15, 16, 20, 22, 23

**Where: **The Venetian Theatre at the Venetian Resort

**Tickets:** Visit Ticketmaster

Rod Stewart: The Encore Shows Las Vegas Residency

Rod Stewart performs at Ascend Amphitheater on August 14, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Rod Stewart performs in August 2025.

Jason Kempin/Getty

**Artist: **Rod Stewart

**When: **May 27, 29, 30 and June 2, 4, 6

**Where: **The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

**Tickets: **Visit Ticketmaster

Kenny Chesney Live at Sphere Las Vegas

Kenny Chesney performs onstage at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 17, 2025 in Hollywood, California.

Kenny Chesney performs in March 2025.

Monica Schipper/Getty

**Artist: **Kenny Chesney

**When: **June 19, 20, 24, 26, 27

**Where: **Sphere

**Tickets:** Visit Ticketmaster

Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions - The Las Vegas Residency

THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW -- Episode BP087 -- Pictured: Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson performs on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show'.

Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty

**Artist:** Kelly Clarkson

**When: **July 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 and Aug. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15

**Where: **The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

**Tickets: **Visit Ticketmaster

Carín León at Sphere

Momentos Latin Grammy Carin Leon.jpg

Carin León performs in 2024.

GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images

**Artist: **Carin León

**When: **Sept. 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13

**Where: **Sphere

**Tickets: **Visit Léon's website

Dolly: Live in Las Vegas

Dolly Parton performs during a college football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Georgia Bulldogs on November 18, 2023, at Neyland Stadium, in Knoxville, TN.

Dolly Parton performs in 2023.

Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty

**Artist: **Dolly Parton

**When: **Sept. 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26

**Where: **The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

**Tickets:** Visit Ticketmaster

- Concerts & Tours

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Your guide to the biggest Las Vegas residencies of 2026: No Doubt, Dolly Parton, Jennifer Lopez, ...

Here are all the artists who'll be holding court in Sin City next year. Your guide to the biggest Las Vegas residencie...
New Photo - Whoopi Goldberg returns to The View, explains 2-week absence

Goldberg missed consecutive weeks of the talk show, with EW previously reporting that the EGOT winner booked an unlikely gig. Whoopi Goldberg returns to The View, explains 2week absence Goldberg missed consecutive weeks of the talk show, with EW previously reporting that the EGOT winner booked an unlikely gig. :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/JoeyNolfiauthorphotoba4923fec03a4027868306485696ef41.jpg) Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at . Since 2016, his work at EW includes RuPaul's Drag Race video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more. EW's editorial guidelines December 1, 2025 4:03 p.m.

Goldberg missed consecutive weeks of the talk show, with EW previously reporting that the EGOT winner booked an unlikely gig.

Whoopi Goldberg returns to The View, explains 2-week absence

Goldberg missed consecutive weeks of the talk show, with EW previously reporting that the EGOT winner booked an unlikely gig.

Joey Nolfi, senior writer at

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes *RuPaul's Drag Race* video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

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December 1, 2025 4:03 p.m. ET

Whoopi Goldberg returns to 'The View'

Whoopi Goldberg returns to 'The View'. Credit:

- Whoopi Goldberg returned to *The View* on Monday after a two-week absence.

- The EGOT-winning actress previously confirmed she'd be off the air for a bit.

- Goldberg was in Italy to film a role on the Italian soap opera *Un Posto Al Sole*.

Whoopi Goldberg returned to *The View*'s Hot Topics table bearing tales of a cold, dreary Italian locale.

The Oscar-winning actress and talk show moderator returned to her post on the program Monday, ending a two-week absence, after ** previously reported that she'd booked a role on the Italian soap opera *Un Posto Al Sole *and would miss broadcasts of *The View* as a result.

Goldberg explained details of her absence to her cohosts across her first time back on the air in weeks, announcing, "So, Alyssa [Farah Griffin] is out today, and I am back today! Back from Italy!"

The audience applauded, while Ana Navarro joked, "I think this bitch has forgotten to speak English."

Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin on 'The View'

Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin on 'The View'.

The *Ghost* and *Sister Act* star admitted that she didn't "know what language I'm thinking in, or what time zone I'm in," but celebrated the role on the region's longest-running soap as a "really good" time.

"I learned a lot, because I'd never done a soap opera before, and so doing a soap opera in a different language, in a different country, made for a really interesting time," Goldberg said. "It was great. I sent you guys stuff all through, because I wanted you to know I was actually working. I was gone for two weeks in Naples, Italy. It rained every day."

She described the weather as "rain, rain, storm, thunder," and called it "crazy" to work in.

"Starring in a fake soap opera sounds so much better than living in the real one," Navarro joked of Goldberg's overseas venture, before the actress corrected her.

'View' cohost Sara Haines compares Venezuela strikes to 'flat-out murder'

Sara Haines on 'The View' and Sec. Pete Hegseth

Sara Haines exposes 'The View' mentalist's secret pre-show meeting with cohosts before PIN reveal

Oz Pearlman and Sara Haines on 'The View'

"One doesn't ever stop living in the real one. I didn't need to take it with me, because everyone there is aware," she said of the current political status in the United States. "But you know, this is the thing about other countries, they've lived through this. They've gone through this, they know what this is like, and they're just biding their time, saying, when the people decide enough is enough, it will be enough."

Perhaps Goldberg will one day have a hand in shaping foreign relations, as she announced on *The View*'s *Behind the Table* podcast last month that she had ambitions to hold a political position in the future.

"I know this is the craziest thing ever, and it will never happen while [*The View*] is going on, but I still want to represent our country in another country," Goldberg told producer Brian Teta on the podcast. "I've always wanted to me an ambassador."

Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin, Joy Behar, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Whoopi Goldberg for 'The View'

Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin, Joy Behar, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Whoopi Goldberg for 'The View'.

Jeff Lipsky/ABC

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter*.**

She elaborated, telling Teta, "I think there are terrific things about this country. I know we're not perfect, and there's a lot of stuff we've got to fix. It's what I've always said: There are great things about us and terrible things about us. We fix what we can, and sometimes we fix it really well, and sometimes we don't fix it well enough."

*The View *airs weekdays on ABC.

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Published: December 02, 2025 at 08:58AM on Source: RON MAG

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Whoopi Goldberg returns to The View, explains 2-week absence

Goldberg missed consecutive weeks of the talk show, with EW previously reporting that the EGOT winner booked an unlikely gig....
New Photo - Why Late Night With Seth Meyers is in reruns this week

The talk show is taking a full week off after producing new eps during Thanksgiving week. Why Late Night With Seth Meyers is in reruns this week The talk show is taking a full week off after producing new eps during Thanksgiving week. By Wesley Stenzel :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/WesleyStenzelauthorphoto32b61793a2784639af623f2ae091477e.jpg) Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at . He began writing for EW in 2022. EW's editorial guidelines December 1, 2025 8:00 p.m. ET Leave a Comment :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/SethMeyers1112625a5a55c8670bc4478aa702e4c253b6499.

The talk show is taking a full week off after producing new eps during Thanksgiving week.

Why Late Night With Seth Meyers is in reruns this week

The talk show is taking a full week off after producing new eps during Thanksgiving week.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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Seth Meyers on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers'

Seth Meyers on 'Late Night With Seth Meyers'. Credit:

Paula Lobo/NBC via Getty

Seth Meyers is taking a weeklong break.

NBC announced that *Late Night With Seth Meyers* will air five episodes of reruns this week. Meyers and his crew will get a week of downtime after airing four new eps last week, including an episode on Thanksgiving Day that featured the host's family. The show also broke for the week after Thanksgiving in 2024.

Seth Meyers on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers'

Seth Meyers on 'Late Night With Seth Meyers'.

Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty

On Monday, *Late Night* will re-air an episode that originally premiered on Oct. 22, featuring Meyers' former *SNL* castmate Maya Rudolph promoting her Apple TV+ series *Loot*. The ep's second guest is comedian Adam Pally, whose stand-up special *An Intimate Evening With Adam Pally* recently premiered on HBO Max.

Tuesday's ep of the show, which originally aired on Nov. 4, features *The Chair Company* co-creators Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, who also previously worked with Meyers on *SNL*. Comedian Stavros Halkias, who played a supporting role in Yorgos Lanthimos' *Bugonia*, also appears as a later guest.

Seth Meyers interviews his three children on 'Late Night' Thanksgiving episode

Seth Meyers and kids on Late Night with Seth Meyers

David Letterman issues warning to Seth Meyers amid Trump calling for late-night host's firing

David Letterman talks Seth Meyers

Wednesday's episode, which first aired on Nov. 6, boasts an eclectic trio of guests: Tiffany Haddish, who stars in the travel series *Tiffany Haddish Goes Off*; Cristin Milioti, who recently won an Emmy for *The Penguin* and lends her voice to the animated film *In Your Dreams*; and Danish-Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier, who helmed the film *Sentimental Value*.

Meyers' show has survived most of 2025 without facing the same turmoil as CBS' *The Late Show With Stephen Colbert* (which was canceled in July) or ABC's *Jimmy Kimmel Live* (which was suspended for six days in September). However, *Late Night* has nonetheless found itself in Donald Trump's crosshairs numerous times this year, most recently when the president called for Meyers' firing on Truth Social in November.

Seth Meyers on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers'

Seth Meyers on 'Late Night With Seth Meyers'.

Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty

"NBC's Seth Meyers is suffering from an incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS)," Trump opined in his post. "He was viewed last night in an uncontrollable rage, likely due to the fact that his 'show' is a Ratings DISASTER. Aside from everything else, Meyers has no talent, and NBC should fire him, IMMEDIATELY!"

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

Meyers responded on the next episode of his show, noting that he's unconcerned with the president's criticisms. "I take no issue with the president voicing his displeasure with my show," the comedian said. "That is his right and, on a lot of nights, he's got a point."

*Late Night With Seth Meyers* airs weeknights at 12:35 a.m. ET/PT on NBC.

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Published: December 02, 2025 at 08:57AM on Source: RON MAG

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Why Late Night With Seth Meyers is in reruns this week

The talk show is taking a full week off after producing new eps during Thanksgiving week . Why Late Night With Seth Meyer...
New Photo - Kristi Noem calls for new travel ban after National Guard shooting

Kristi Noem calls for new travel ban after National Guard shooting Zoë RichardsDecember 2, 2025 at 5:28 AM 0 Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday she is recommending a "full travel ban" from countries that are "flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies." "I just met with the President. I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies," Noem wrote on X.

- - Kristi Noem calls for new travel ban after National Guard shooting

Zoë RichardsDecember 2, 2025 at 5:28 AM

0

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday she is recommending a "full travel ban" from countries that are "flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies."

"I just met with the President. I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies," Noem wrote on X.

"Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom—not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS.WE DON'T WANT THEM. NOT ONE," she added.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment about which countries Noem was referring to Monday night.

President Donald Trump shared her X post on Truth Social but did not comment on it.

A makeshift memorial outside the Farragut West Metro station in Washington on Monday. (Heather Diehl / Getty Images)

Trump has intensified his administration's crackdown on immigration in the wake of last week's shooting of two National Guard members on patrol in Washington, which left one guard member dead and the other in critical condition.

The Department of Homeland Security identified the suspect as an Afghan national who entered the United States legally in September 2021 after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country," Trump said in remarks hours after the shooting.

The following day, Trump said on social media that he planned to "permanently pause" all immigration from what he described as "third world countries."

The proposed travel ban is the latest in the Trump administration's efforts to restrict immigration to the United States.

Trump signed a proclamation in June banning nationals from 12 countries — including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen — from entering the United States.

In October, the administration drastically reduced the annual refugee admissions cap to 7,500 — the lowest on record. The admissions numbers would "primarily be allocated" to white South Africans, according to a Federal Register memo.

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Kristi Noem calls for new travel ban after National Guard shooting

Kristi Noem calls for new travel ban after National Guard shooting Zoë RichardsDecember 2, 2025 at 5:28 AM 0 Homeland ...
New Photo - Wrongfully convicted Michigan dad sues: 'They did me wrong'

Wrongfully convicted Michigan dad sues: 'They did me wrong' Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press December 1, 2025 at 2:04 PM 7 Behind prison walls, they called him "Baby Killer." It was a torturous nickname for Michael Griffin, who was serving a life sentence for the death of his infant daughter — a crime he adamantly denies. He said she fell from a baby swing inside their home in Flint, Michigan, and died the next day from a failed surgery. But the police, he said, were hellbent on blaming him for her death, accusing him of abusing her, and trying to bully a confession out of him.

- - Wrongfully convicted Michigan dad sues: 'They did me wrong'

Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press December 1, 2025 at 2:04 PM

7

Behind prison walls, they called him "Baby Killer."

It was a torturous nickname for Michael Griffin, who was serving a life sentence for the death of his infant daughter — a crime he adamantly denies. He said she fell from a baby swing inside their home in Flint, Michigan, and died the next day from a failed surgery. But the police, he said, were hell-bent on blaming him for her death, accusing him of abusing her, and trying to bully a confession out of him.

"'Tell us what you did or the doctors won't help your daughter,'" Griffin recalled the police telling him during a three-hour-long interrogation as his daughter clung to life. He described it as a futile back-and-forth:

"I'm telling you the truth."

Michael Griffin, 35, of Flint, sits on a couch with his wife, Kalesha Journeay, 33, in the living room of their home in Flint on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. When he was 19, Griffin's daughter died after falling from a baby swing, and he was blamed for her death. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, though he would profess his innocence for the next 14 years. He was exonerated after medical evidence showed a botched surgery caused her daughter's death. He is now suing over his wrongful conviction, alleging the police, hospital and forensic officials covered up their mistakes.

"No, you're not."

"She fell out of her swing."

"No, she didn't."

"They kept telling me I was lying," recalled Griffin, who at 19 would get charged, convicted at trial and sent to prison, where the "Baby Killer" taunts would tear his guts out for years, triggering fights with those who dared utter it.

"I had to keep telling myself, 'I didn't do it,' Even if the truth never came out," Griffin said in a recent, exclusive interview with the Free Press.

But the truth did eventually come out, Griffin said. In 2023 he was exonerated with the help of the Michigan Innocence Clinic and attorney Mike Morse. Two years into his freedom, he is now suing to hold those accountable for, as he puts it, framing him for a crime that he never committed, and robbing him of 14 years of his life.

'I kept telling myself — I know they did me wrong'

In a wrongful prosecution lawsuit unfolding in U.S. District Court, Griffin alleges that his daughter's death was caused by a failed surgical procedure, and that police, doctors and forensic officials conspired to transform a "tragic household accident into a fabricated homicide." Specifically, the suit alleges, investigators and medical personnel built a false narrative of child abuse, coerced a confession through fear and deceit, then falsified police and medical reports and altered autopsy findings to match their story.

"When I was locked up, I kept telling myself, 'I know they did me wrong,' " Griffin said. "But I didn't think it could be proven."

Griffin's lawsuit is against the city of Flint, Genesee County, two Flint police officers, three doctors, three officials with the medical examiner's office and the Hurley Medical Center where his daughter was taken for treatment. Through multiple lawyers and agency officials, all declined comment for this article.

Among the lawsuit's allegations:

There was no physical evidence of blunt force trauma, yet the police and doctors pushed this theory, and a medical examiner listed it as cause of death on the autopsy report, which also noted the existence of a prior head injury, a bruise on the baby's face and the occurrence of an unsuccessful craniotomy. Yet, "without any evidence" that the injuries were caused by the dad as opposed to the failed craniotomy, the medical examiner determined that cause of death was "Blunt Force Injury of the Head" and the manner of death was "homicide."

In the middle of Griffin's trial, the autopsy report was changed after a doctor testified that no evidence existed to support a finding of "Blunt Force Trauma." A medical examiner then sent the prosecution an "" autopsy report, changing the cause of death to "Abusive Head Injury." A doctor testified that this phrase is used when there is no way to determine how injuries occur, and "admitted" that it was used "to reflect that the doctors did not know what happened to Naviah."

A doctor had discovered a prior head injury in the baby, yet the jury was never informed about how the baby's fall could have reinjured that previous injury. As it turned out, a CT scan showed a new brain bleed had developed, which triggered the need for the surgery that ultimately failed.

The police report stated that Griffin's interrogation was videotaped. The prosecutor also said the same at trial, yet the videotape has never been produced. Griffin's lawyers filed a Freedom of Information Act request for it, but the city of Flint said the video doesn't exist.

Griffin was arrested without a warrant.

A medical examiner testified that she performed an autopsy on the child at 9 a.m., but the baby was still in surgery at that time, and was not pronounced dead until 1:10 p.m.

An investigator with the medical examiner's office lied in his written report — and later to jurors — when he claimed that the mom told him that she believed her daughter had been abused by the father. The mom testified that this never happened.

"There were desperate measures taken here to ensure that Michael would be blamed for the death of his daughter," said attorney Adam Akeel, who is representing Griffin in the lawsuit. He noted the prosecution "showed a shaken-baby video to the jury" when there was no evidence supporting this theory.

"It's them pushing this false narrative to pin it on the dad," Akeel said, "when they all admit that they had no facts to support that it was caused by him."

How Griffin went from grieving parent to murder suspect in 24 hours

According to court records, trial testimony, interviews with lawyers and Griffin, these are the events that unfolded in the fall of 2009, when Griffin's daughter wound up in the Emergency Room at Hurley Medical Center in Flint with a bruise under her eye:

On Sept. 30, 2009, Griffin was home with his daughter while the baby's mom walked to a corner market to buy snacks at about 5 p.m. Both parents were just 19, living in a two-story apartment in Flint with baby Naviah, whose dad had placed her in a motorized infant swing upstairs while her mom went out. He secured her with the attached tray that latched across her lap. He did not use the seat belt. He then went downstairs and played video games, when eventually, he heard a loud thump. He said he thought it might be the neighbors.

But when he went upstairs, he said he found the baby face down on the hardwood floor.

Michael Griffin, center, 33, of Flint, has his hands massaged by his then-fiancée, Kalesha Journeay, 31, while sitting on the front porch of his mother's house on Flint's west side on Friday, May 5, 2023, shortly after Griffin was released from prison on bond. When he was 19, Griffin's daughter died after falling from a baby swing, and he was blamed for her death. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, though he would profess his innocence for the next 14 years. He was exonerated after medical evidence showed a botched surgery caused her daughter's death. He is now suing over his wrongful conviction, alleging the police, hospital and forensic officials covered up their mistakes.

"I panicked and picked her up," Griffin recalled. "I remember this clear as day — as soon as I picked her up, her head went limp on my shoulder. She wasn't crying."

Griffin said he set her on the bed when he heard a knock at the door. It was Naviah's mom. He ran downstairs with the baby and opened the door. Before he could say what had happened, the mom grabbed the baby, who had stopped breathing, ran out the front door and yelled for help. An apartment security guard performed CPR on the baby and resuscitated her before the ambulance arrived and transported her to Hurley Medical Center.

When she got to the hospital, she had a bruise under her right eye and no other external injuries. But the parents would learn overnight that her brain had swollen, and that she would need surgery. A CT scan had revealed a "tiny" and "thin" bleed on the left side of Naviah's brain, and a cystic hygroma — or benign tumor — was discovered on the right side of her brain. This meant that a prior injury had occurred and healed, but was "dangerously susceptible to reinjury," the lawsuit states.

After discovering the existence of the cystic hygroma, hospital officials contacted Child Protective Services and the Flint police, who would interrogate both parents at the police station. Mom went first, telling police that she and Griffin had a good relationship, that he treats her and the baby well and had never abused either of them; and that she had no reason to believe that he would harm their child.

Mom also informed the officers that Naviah had a tendency to kick up the latched tray and pull herself up and out of her swing, and that she had previously done so on multiple occasions.

The police, though, allegedly criticized the mom for trusting the dad, telling her the doctors did not believe Griffin's story about the swing fall, and neither did they.

Fifteen years later, Naviah's mom — who said she initially "didn't want to believe" that Griffin could have hurt their child — says after years of researching the case and rethinking the details, the medical testimony and Griffin's story, she doesn't believe Griffin is telling the truth. And though she testified for the prosecution at his trial — at times providing favorable testimony for the dad — she said she believes Griffin did something that caused her child's death, and is hiding something.

Mom: 'Something happened at that house … that he's not taking accountability for'

For 36-year-old Alecia Patton, Naviah's mother, the pain, sadness and trauma of losing a child has never gone away. Though grateful for the experience to become a mom again — she now has a 10-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter — she still grieves Naviah everyday, she said. And the memory of what happened that tragic day still haunts her, in part, because she believes Griffin is hiding something.

"Something happened at the house that caused her to go to the hospital that he's not taking accountability for," Patton said in a recent interview with the Free Press.

That hospital visit was especially traumatic for Patton, who also lost her father that day. He had come to the hospital to be with her after learning about Naviah, when he died suddenly of a health issue inside his car in the parking lot, just 10 minutes after Naviah died.

"He didn't want her to be alone — that's what I tell myself to keep going," Patton said.

With back-to-back tragedies to contend with, Patton would get hit with another major event in just a matter of days. Her baby's father would be charged with murder.

"I didn't want to believe it," said Patton, who recalled going through a mix of emotions: Anger. Confusion. Sadness. But as time passed, she said, and she had a chance to research the case and process the medical information, she came to a conclusion:

"I was faced with reality — that he's the reason behind her being deceased," said Patton, who cut off all ties with Griffin shortly after her daughter's death.

Patton said she didn't believe Griffin's "she fell out of the swing" explanation: "It just didn't make sense. It never did make sense."

Patton, who is now a certified nursing assistant, said she also doesn't believe that her daughter died from a failed surgery, maintaining that it was Griffin who caused her daughter to be in the hospital in the first place.

"If, whatever happened at the house hadn't happened, then the doctors would not have had to try to get the fluid off her brain," Patton said. "I asked them to do what they could do to try to save her, and they did the best they could do."

'I want to know the truth ... She didn't deserve what happened to her'

It's been more than 10 years since Patton has spoken to Griffin. Their last conversation was a prison phone call.

"I asked him to tell me the truth of what happened," recalled Patton, who said Griffin told her that if she came in person to see him in prison, "he would tell me what happened."

But that prison visit never occurred. Patton said her application to visit him was denied, and she didn't pursue the matter further.

Still, she said, she has never stopped wondering what happened.

"I want to know the truth," she said. "Something happened. … I'm the mother. And I don't know what happened to my first-born child. It's not fair. She didn't deserve what happened to her."

When Griffin was exonerated, Patton said she was blindsided.

"I went into a dark hole. … I wasn't expecting it," Patton said, later adding: "Everybody is saying he deserves a second chance. I feel like, 'leave well enough alone.' "

As for second chances, Patton said: "I'm not God. I can't say what nobody deserves. … But I would be more comfortable if he were in prison. Justice was served before he got out."

As for Griffin's lawsuit, she said: "He's going for money, and all I want is the truth."

Dad says police bullied him with threats to get a false confession

Griffin maintains he has been truthful from the start, and that he was railroaded by police when they first took him in for questioning while his daughter fought for her life. According to Griffin, trial transcripts, and court records, here's what happened:

At the start of the interrogation, the officers closed the door, according to official reports. Then they reportedly told Griffin that both they and the doctors believed he had intentionally abused his daughter and caused her injuries, either with blunt force or shaking her. Griffin protested, but the officers wouldn't let up, allegedly telling him that unless he confessed to harming her, the doctors wouldn't be able to treat her, that they would terminate his parental rights, and that she could die.

Griffin told the officers that a couple of weeks earlier, Naviah had fallen on the metal post of the swing and there was a bruise and suggested that this could have happened again, records show. But the officers would not relent. They wanted more, telling him his daughter will die "because he wasn't man enough to tell the truth," and that they suspected he lost his temper with the mom and took it out on the baby.

Griffin continued to deny hurting his child, but the intense questioning continued, according to reports, with police telling him "they were starting to believe he was a monster," that doctors will remove his daughter's brain should she die and determine she could have been saved had her dad been truthful about hurting her.

After accusing Griffin of not wanting to help his daughter, reports show, they told him he could leave — but threatened that he would likely not be able to see Navia again for at least 18 months, and that parental termination proceedings were imminent.

Desperate and afraid, Griffin caved.

"Given the coercive pressure being placed on (Griffin) ... and in a desperate attempt to satisfy the officers' relentless demands, (Griffin) stated that he sometimes taps Naviah on the back of the head, but he never does it hard and he plays with her that way," the lawsuit states, adding the dad also told the officers that he "sometimes throws her up and down, but also just to play with her and that he has never and would never hurt her."

At 1:10 p.m., on Oct. 1, seven hours after his interrogation, his daughter was pronounced dead following an unsuccessful craniotomy.

Five days later, Griffin was arrested and charged with felony murder and first-degree child abuse. At trial, he took the stand in his own defense and broke down crying when they showed him a photo of his deceased daughter. But he was unable to convince a jury that he was innocent.

Mom testifies at trial

During trial, jurors also heard from Patton, whose testimony largely focused on her relationship with Griffin, his parenting skills, and the events that transpired after she came home and found her daughter limp in Griffin's arms. She was never asked at trial whether she believed Griffin's explanation for how their daughter got hurt.

During her testimony, Patton said that she never had any concerns about Griffin appropriately caring for their daughter, that she never saw him lose his patience with her, that he was her primary caretaker while she attended a work program, and that the two did not have disagreements about how he cared for her.

She also pushed back on the prosecution's claims that she nodded her head yes when a medical examiner investigator asked her whether she believed Griffin had abused their daughter. She testified that she did not remember that.

"Did he love her?" the defense asked her on cross-examination.

"Yes," she answered.

Patton also testified that the baby once rolled off the sofa while in the dad's care. She took the baby to the hospital out of caution, she said, but there were no injuries. She also testified that he once broke a window in their home after arguing, but that the dispute was not about the baby.

According to Patton's testimony, here is what happened on the tragic day in question, when she returned home from a walk to a corner store and found her daughter limp in her father's arms:

"I grabbed her from him," she told the jury. "I thought she was gone."

She then ran out of the house, yelled for help. An apartment security guard resuscitated her daughter then grabbed a phone from the dad and called 911. An ambulance arrived and drove the mom and baby to the hospital. Dad was in a car behind them, with his mom.

At the hospital, the mom testified, Griffin would tell her the baby fell from the swing, and that he found her on the floor when he went upstairs to change her diaper. She said they waited for about two hours in the hospital waiting room, but got no answers about the condition of their child. At that point, she said, two police officers showed up and took her to the police station for questioning.

Michael Griffin, 33, of Flint, and his then-fiancée, Kalesha Journeay, 31, take a walk through a neighborhood on Flint's west side with his nephew Jacquees Griffin on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, after Michael Griffin was released from prison on bond. When he was 19, Griffin's daughter died after falling from a baby swing, and he was blamed for her death. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, though he would profess his innocence for the next 14 years. He was exonerated after medical evidence showed a botched surgery caused her daughter's death. He is now suing over his wrongful conviction, alleging the police, hospital and forensic officials covered up their mistakes.

Patton did not testify about the interrogation, but said she went back to the hospital after questioning, and eventually learned that her daughter would need surgery. Five hours later, the doctors would give her the gut-wrenching news: her daughter didn't make it.

Meanwhile, the police would begin building a case against Griffin, using the "illegally elicited" statements he made during his interrogation against him, his lawsuit states. Those same statements would later be used to persuade a jury to convict him. The prosecution also used the statements to convince the court of appeals to uphold his conviction.

It wasn't until the Michigan Innocence Clinic and prominent plaintiff attorney Mike Morse intervened that he was exonerated.

'His court-appointed attorney was a disaster'

In securing Griffin's freedom, the Michigan Innocence Clinic and Morse argued that Griffin had an ineffective lawyer, noting the prosecution brought in seven doctors to testify against Griffin, while his public defender brought in none.

"There are lots of causes of wrongful convictions, but most of these cases have one thing in common: Bad or overworked lawyers, or public defenders. And this is one of the main reasons Mr. Griffin was wrongfully convicted," Morse said during a 2023 news conference when Griffin was released. "His court-appointed attorney was a disaster. He called no expert witnesses, despite the fact that the state called seven."

According to Griffin, it was Morse who ultimately secured his release by finding and bringing in doctors who explained to the court how the baby's death likely occurred. Morse, who had never before handled a criminal case and took this one pro bono, also argued that the scientific consensus around short fall and other head injuries had evolved since 2010, evidence that was not readily available when Griffin was convicted.

Using these arguments, Morse convinced Genesee County Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Kelly to vacate Griffin's convictions in March 2023, release him on bond, and order a new trial.

But there was no retrial. After reevaluating the case, the Genesee County Prosecutor's Office opted not to retry it, dropped all charges and dismissed the case on Sept. 13, 2023.

When asked to explain this decision, Assistant Prosecutor John Pothbury declined comment, citing pending litigation.

On its website, the Mike Morse Law Firm commended the prosecutor's office, stating: "Throughout this entire process, the Genesee County Prosecutor's Office has been extremely professional and respectful to Mr. Griffin and his legal counsel. It is abundantly clear that Genesee County Prosecutor Mr. David Leyton and his staff care about doing their job the right way and only prosecuting cases when they have a good faith basis for believing the available evidence will support a conviction. "

A fresh start, a wife, and a new baby

Since his release, Griffin, who now runs a cleaning business, has embraced his freedom with new hope and purpose. He is a father again, and a husband. He married a woman he met years ago while he was in prison. The two now have a 1-year-old boy named Nash.

"He looks just like his sister," said Griffin, noting his son makes him smile again.

Michael Griffin, center, 33, of Flint, is hugged by family members as they come to visit him outside of his mother's house on Flint's west side on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, shortly after Griffin was released from prison on bond. When he was 19, Griffin's daughter died after falling from a baby swing, and he was blamed for her death. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, though he would profess his innocence for the next 14 years. He was exonerated after medical evidence showed a botched surgery caused her daughter's death. He is now suing over his wrongful conviction, alleging the police, hospital and forensic officials covered up their mistakes.

And a lot of the anger is gone.

"I ended up letting it go," Griffin said. " I had to let go of all the emotions."

Following his exoneration, Griffin received $435,000 from the state for the years he spent in prison. The payout was supposed to be $696,000, or $50,000 for every year he was in prison. But he said he didn't get the entire amount because authorities said his daughter had been hurt before, and so they decided against giving him the full amount.

It didn't make sense to Griffin, who has long maintained he never harmed his daughter. But he said he's moving on from that, too, shifting his focus to his lawsuit, and working to hold all those accountable for the nightmare he was put through.

Losing a child was hard enough, he said. But then being blamed for her death was another matter.

"I wish nobody would ever go through this," said Griffin, noting he couldn't watch baby commercials for a long time. "I dealt with a lot of pain."

And now he wants the civil justice system to hold the police, doctors, medical examiners and others responsible for it.

"The whole time I was locked up I knew something crazy had happened," Griffin said. "I just kept saying, 'I didn't do it.' I believed the hospitals did something, the cops covered stuff up."

It took more than a year for Griffin to pursue a lawsuit. He said he "had an epiphany."

"I woke up my wife ... I said, 'If I'm sitting here, who is responsible for killing my daughter?' " Griffin recalled, noting he has never received an apology for his ordeal. "Nothing was ever said. Not an 'I'm sorry.' They locked me up for it and said 'I've done it.' "

"But now that I'm out," he added, he's intent on answering this question: "Who did it?"

Contact Tresa Baldas: [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Flint dad Michael Griffin exonerated in daughter's death sues

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Wrongfully convicted Michigan dad sues: 'They did me wrong' Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press December 1, 2025 at 2:...
New Photo - Publisher condemns 'violent' use of Franklin the Turtle after Pete Hegseth's boat strike post

Publisher condemns 'violent' use of Franklin the Turtle after Pete Hegseth's boat strike post Raquel Coronell UribeDecember 2, 2025 at 5:11 AM 0 The publisher of Franklin the Turtle released a statement Monday condemning the "violent" use of the children's book character after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted an image with the title "Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists." "Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity," the publishing house Kids Can Press wrote in a statement on X.

- - Publisher condemns 'violent' use of Franklin the Turtle after Pete Hegseth's boat strike post

Raquel Coronell UribeDecember 2, 2025 at 5:11 AM

0

The publisher of Franklin the Turtle released a statement Monday condemning the "violent" use of the children's book character after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted an image with the title "Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists."

"Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity," the publishing house Kids Can Press wrote in a statement on X.

"We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin's name or image, which directly contradicts these values," the statement read.

Chief Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell responded to the publisher in a statement, saying: "We doubt Franklin the Turtle wants to be inclusive of drug cartels… or laud the kindness and empathy of narco-terrorists."

In the image Hegseth posted, Franklin stands on a helicopter and aims a machine gun at a boat. The post followed news reports that the Pentagon carried out a second strike on an alleged drug boat on Sept. 2, which the White House confirmed Monday.

Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, blasted Hegseth over the post.

"I've read books to my children, but not that one apparently. This is serious business. I mean, even if it's justified, even if it's right, seriously, you're killing people. And this is your response to tweet out some joke about a cartoon turtle," Smith told reporters.

"I mean, we need a secretary of defense who understands the seriousness and the importance of the job that he has. We don't have one," he added.

Smith put out a joint statement over the weekend with Armed Services Committee chair Mike Rogers, R-Ala., in which they said the panel would provide "rigorous oversight of the Defense Department's military operations in the Caribbean."

The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee — Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Jack Reed, D-R.I. — said in a similar statement that they would conduct "vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances."

The White House said Monday that the strike was ordered by Adm. Frank M. Bradley, who was overseeing the operation and at the time and was in charge of the Joint Special Operations Command. Some lawmakers and legal experts say the second attack, which reportedly killed the survivors of an initial strike, could constitute a war crime.

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Publisher condemns 'violent' use of Franklin the Turtle after Pete Hegseth's boat strike post

Publisher condemns 'violent' use of Franklin the Turtle after Pete Hegseth's boat strike post Raquel Cor...
New Photo - Experts explain what the law says about killing survivors of a boat strike

Experts explain what the law says about killing survivors of a boat strike BEN FINLEY and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN December 1, 2025 at 10:25 PM 59 Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrives at a a pardoning ceremony for the national Thanksgiving turkey Gobble in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) () WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military would have committed a crime if it killed the survivors of an attack on an alleged drug boat, legal experts say. It doesn't matter whether the U.S.

- - Experts explain what the law says about killing survivors of a boat strike

BEN FINLEY and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN December 1, 2025 at 10:25 PM

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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrives at a a pardoning ceremony for the national Thanksgiving turkey Gobble in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) ()

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military would have committed a crime if it killed the survivors of an attack on an alleged drug boat, legal experts say.

It doesn't matter whether the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with drug cartels as the Trump administration asserts. Such a fatal second strike would have violated peacetime laws and those governing armed conflict, the experts say.

"I can't imagine anyone, no matter what the circumstance, believing it is appropriate to kill people who are clinging to a boat in the water," said Michael Schmitt, a former Air Force lawyer and professor emeritus at the U.S. Naval War College. "That is clearly unlawful."

The White House confirmed Monday that a second strike was conducted in September against a vessel accused of trafficking drugs off the coast of Venezuela and insisted it was done "in self-defense" and in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.

A news report about that attack spawned a new level of scrutiny from lawmakers and added to a growing debate about whether service members can refuse to follow illegal orders, which some Democratic lawmakers recently encouraged.

Here's what to know about the strikes and laws of armed conflict:

What set off the debate

The Washington Post reported last week that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a spoken directive to "kill everybody" on a boat targeted on Sept. 2, the first vessel hit in what the Trump administration calls a counterdrug campaign that has grown to over 20 known strikes and more than 80 dead.

Two men survived that first attack, which killed nine others, and were clinging to the wreckage, the newspaper reported. The commander in charge, Adm. Frank Bradley, ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth's instructions, killing the two men, the Post reported.

Hegseth called it "fake news" on social media, saying the boat strikes are "in compliance with the law of armed conflict — and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command."

President Donald Trump said Sunday that the administration "will look into" it but added that "I wouldn't have wanted that — not a second strike." He noted that Hegseth told him "he did not order the death of those two men."

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that Bradley had ordered the second strike and "was well within his authority to do so." She denied that Hegseth said to leave no survivors.

The administration has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted the U.S. is engaged in an "armed conflict" with drug cartels, similar to the war against al-Qaida following the Sept. 11 attacks.

What the law allows during armed conflict

A second strike killing survivors would have been illegal under any circumstance, armed conflict or not, Schmitt said.

He said the U.S. is not in a legitimate armed conflict with drug cartels, which would have to be committing high levels of violence against the country, not just trafficking drugs that kill Americans.

Even if it was, "it has been clear for well over a century that you may not declare what's called 'no quarter' — take no survivors, kill everyone," Schmitt said.

Whether an armed conflict is taking place likely would not be settled by an international body like the International Criminal Court, to which the U.S. is not a party, said Matthew Waxman, a Columbia University law professor who was a national security official in the George W. Bush administration.

The U.S., however, could face blowback from allies, which may decline to share information for military operations that are illegal under their own laws or international law, said Waxman, who served in the State and Defense departments and on the National Security Council under Bush.

America's armed conflict against al-Qaida received support from the U.N. Security Council, NATO and U.S. allies, he said.

The legal threat posed to US military personnel

If the U.S. is not in an armed conflict, that means it violated international human rights law, which governs how countries treat individuals, Schmitt said.

"You can only use lethal force in circumstances where there is an imminent threat," Schmitt said. "And that wasn't the case."

Brian Finucane, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group and a former State Department lawyer, agreed that the U.S. is not in an armed conflict with drug cartels.

"The term for a premeditated killing outside of armed conflict is murder," Finucane said, adding that U.S. military personnel could be prosecuted in American courts.

"Murder on the high seas is a crime," he said. "Conspiracy to commit murder outside of the United States is a crime. And under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 118 makes murder an offense."

The Pentagon's own manual on the laws of war describes a scenario similar to the Sept. 2 boat strike when discussing when service members should refuse to comply with unlawful orders.

"For example," the manual says, "orders to fire upon the shipwrecked would be clearly illegal."

What Congress has said about what comes next

Leaders of the Armed Services committees in both the House and Senate have opened investigations.

Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate's committee, and its top Democrat, Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, said the committee "will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances."

Concern about the second strike comes after a group of Democratic lawmakers — all veterans of the armed services and intelligence community — released a video calling on U.S. military members to defy "illegal orders."

Among them was Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat and former Navy fighter pilot who has questioned the use of the military to attack the alleged drug boats. The Pentagon says it's investigating Kelly over possible breaches of military law tied to the video.

Kelly said Monday that "if what seems to have happened, actually happened, I'm really concerned about our service members."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has defended the boat strikes as stopping the flow of narcotics into the U.S. and said to wait for the outcome of the reviews.

"Obviously, if there was a direction to take a second shot and kill people, that's a violation of an ethical, moral or legal code. We need to get to the bottom of it," said Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican.

___

writers Stephen Groves, Lisa Mascaro and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.

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Experts explain what the law says about killing survivors of a boat strike

Experts explain what the law says about killing survivors of a boat strike BEN FINLEY and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN December...

 

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