Opinion | Are Trump’s Boat Attacks a War Crime?

What’s actually happening is the U.S. Navy, under orders from the president, is blowing up random boats in the Caribbean and saying: Oh, they’re terrorists. Which, in a broad scale — even under the most expansive vision of the unitary executive, Article II does not grant the president the right to make a unilateral designation that someone is a terrorist, can be murdered by the state. That’s not a power the president has. So I’ve even — I’m — sorry. I’m getting animated. -No, I like the passion, I like it. -I am at this point right now where I won’t even describe these as potential war crimes. This is criminal murder. Like, if you were — and this alleged double-tap. If it is the case that we did an illegal strike, first of all, and blew up this boat, we have no idea who these people were. They could have just been innocent fishermen. And then there is a second strike at two survivors —— -Which is a no-no. David, you’re the expert. You’re the expert. -Total no-no. -I mean, all respect to David, and I will defer to his expertise, but I’ll say this has been a no-no since there’s been war.