Top Trump National Security Officials Face Intensifying Scrutiny as Leaked Reports and Drone Strike Allegations Spark Bipartisan Alarm

WASHINGTON — Two of President Donald J. Trump’s most senior national security officials — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and FBI Director Kash Patel — are facing mounting internal dissent and renewed calls for investigation, amid leaked memoranda, allegations of misconduct, and bipartisan questions about the administration’s use of force abroad.

The most serious allegations center on Mr. Hegseth. According to reporting cited in a recent podcast and analysis published in The Washington Post, a classified review of U.S. drone operations in the Caribbean includes claims that the Defense Secretary authorized what officials described as a “double-tap” strike on September 2 — allegedly ordering a second missile against two men who survived an initial drone strike and were clinging to the side of a damaged fishing vessel.

The strike was part of a series of more than 20 operations linked to the administration’s anti-narcotics campaign near Venezuela, according to the reporting. More than 80 people have been “disappeared” without due process in related missions, critics of the program say.

Although heavily edited footage of the initial strike has circulated inside the Pentagon, the podcast host Michael Popok — a former prosecutor who discusses national security law — said multiple Defense Department officials are prepared to testify that senior leaders saw the unedited video, including images of survivors, before the second strike was ordered.

Mr. Hegseth has not commented publicly on the allegations. People close to the Defense Secretary said privately that the administration viewed the missions as lawful wartime actions. But members of Congress from both parties with military or intelligence experience have begun raising concerns about whether the alleged second strike would violate international law.

Complicating matters further, Mr. Trump has distanced himself from the incident, telling advisers he saw only an initial clip of the operation that did not show survivors, according to the podcast’s account.

At the FBI, Director Kash Patel is confronting a separate internal revolt. A 115-page memorandum compiled by current and former bureau personnel, critical of Mr. Patel’s leadership, was leaked last week to The New York Post and later discussed by conservative podcaster Miranda Devine — an outlet and commentator frequently favored by the president.

The report, according to people familiar with its contents, outlines 10 principal findings, including concerns about Mr. Patel’s management, hiring decisions, and use of government resources. The leak has fueled speculation that the document may have been distributed deliberately to provide political cover for Mr. Trump to remove Mr. Patel.

Former associates of the president note that Mr. Trump has long used strategically placed leaks — often through the New York Post — to shape public narratives or prepare the ground for personnel changes.

Administration officials have not verified the authenticity of the memorandum. A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment.

Several senior political appointees may be vulnerable as investigations advance. Legal analysts said the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity does not protect Cabinet officials or agency heads. Some lawmakers have suggested that if Democrats win back the White House, they may pursue criminal inquiries into decisions made at the Defense Department and the FBI during the current administration.

For now, both Mr. Hegseth and Mr. Patel remain in their posts. But with internal reviews underway, bipartisan committees seeking additional testimony, and allies of the president signaling diminished confidence, their futures in the administration appear increasingly uncertain.