Kash Patel Responds Exclusively, WH Defends Boat Strike, Luigi Mangione in Court: AM Update 12/2

0:02Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. I think we've gone from bad to worse. But I'm going to muddle through it because I've got some news for you. It's Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025, and this is your AM Update. AM Update with new and exclusive reaction from FBI Director Cash Patel to an attack on FBI leadership from anonymous agents. Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes. The White House confirms a second strike was ordered on a suspected drug vessel as President Trump's top advisors discuss next moves in Venezuela. It shows a cold, calculated, premeditated murder.

0:42It is the lock that any prosecutor wants. And Luigi Mangione in a New York courtroom seeking to exclude key evidence in his trial. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.

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1:30They are revolutionizing preventative care with something radically different. 100 plus blood markers tested at your home. Personalized supplement packs shipped directly to you based on your deficiencies. Biannual retesting to track progress, plus ongoing virtual consultations on your schedule. This is Healthcare Independence, and you get 20 % off at gogevity.com slash Megan with code Megan when you check out. That's gogevity.com slash Megan, because no one should control your health decisions but you. White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt yesterday confirming reports that a second strike was conducted on an alleged drug boat heading for America on September 2nd as two suspected narco-terrorists who survived the first strike clung to the battered boat in the sea.

2:22The Washington Post reporting Friday the quote double tap was ordered by Admiral Frank Mitch Bradley, this following an earlier order prior to the initial strike from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, authorizing kinetic strikes to take out these vessels. The Washington Post and subsequent reporting intensely focusing on the legality of Admiral Bradley's order, contending that the survivors did not pose an ongoing threat to the U.S., which actually has not yet been confirmed. As adjunct Cornell law professor and retired U.S. Army soldier Brian Cox, has argued and will explain today live on the MK Show.

3:01If this boat were just disabled, as the Washington Post reports, and not entirely destroyed after strike number one, the order to strike again would be entirely legal. Caroline Levitt from yesterday's briefing reading a prepared statement moments after denying that the order for the second strike came directly from Secretary Hegseth. President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have made it clear that presidentially designated narco-terrorist groups are subject to lethal targeting in accordance with the laws of war. With respect to the strikes in question on September 2nd, Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes.

3:42Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated. And I would just add one more point to remind the American public why these lethal strikes are taking place. Because this administration has designated these narco-terrorists as foreign terrorist organizations. The president has a right to take them out if they are threatening the United States of America and if they are bringing illegal narcotics that are killing our citizens at a record rate, which is what they are doing.

4:15And under the previous administration, there was enough fentanyl trafficked into our country to kill every American man, woman, and child many times over. Levitt saying Admiral Bradley ordered the second strike, but stopping short of addressing whether it was intended specifically to kill survivors. The Post initially reporting four strikes total on the boat, two to kill everyone, and two more to fully sink the wreckage. The topic consuming about half of the briefing, with intense focus on the nature of the order itself. So was the initial order from Secretary Hague said everyone be killed and did that come from President Trump?

4:53I saw that quoted in a Washington Post story. I would reject that the Secretary of War ever said that. However, the President has made it quite clear that if narco-terrorists, again, are trafficking illegal drugs towards the United States, he has the authority to kill them. And that's what this administration is doing. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reacting bluntly at a press conference. The White House is lying, but that's no surprise because they lie for a living and the American people know it. The House and Senate Armed Services Committees, led by Republicans, launching inquiries into the matter.

5:29Secretary Hegseth posting on social media yesterday evening, quote, Let's make one thing crystal clear. Admiral Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100 % support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made on the September 2nd mission and all others since. Also yesterday, President Trump meeting with his national security team in the Oval to discuss Venezuela. CNN reporting Secretary Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Raisin-Kane, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, among those in attendance.

6:07The president ramping up pressure on Venezuela in recent weeks as part of a campaign to crack down on cartels trafficking drugs into the U.S. U.S. military ships and troops amassing in the region. Last week, President Trump saying operations to halt trafficking via land routes would begin very soon. On Saturday, President Trump posting to Truth Social, quote, To all airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers, please consider the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety, leaving many to wonder if U.S. intervention is imminent. On Sunday, President Trump confirming he had recently spoken to President Maduro.

6:47The New York Times reported that you had a phone call with Maduro. Did you? I don't want to comment on it. The answer is yes. And can you tell us a little bit about it? No, I can't do that. Did you say it went well? I wouldn't say it went well or badly. It was a phone call. Last week, the administration designating President Maduro as the head of a foreign terrorist organization, saying he and other members of his government head the Cartel de los Solis, a step U.S. officials say provides wider legal authority to conduct operations inside Venezuela. Coming up, a new report goes after FBI Director Cash Patel.

7:25Director Patel responds on the record to AM Update. And accused murderer Luigi Mangione is in court seeking the dismissal of critical pieces of evidence.

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8:34BrickHouseSale.com, BrickHouseSale.com. A new report compiled by a group of active duty and retired FBI agents painting an unflattering image of FBI Director Cash Patel and, to a lesser degree, his Deputy Director Dan Bongino. The 115-page report, a mostly scathing assessment of Patel's first six months in office, reportedly set to be presented to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees this week. The New York Post's Miranda Devine getting her hands on the report, which labels the FBI, quote, a rudderless ship under Director Patel, whom the document concludes is, quote, in over his head. The report, citing multiple internal FBI sources, accuses Director Patel of lacking, quote, the breadth of experience needed to be successful.

9:25Another source saying the director, quote, lacks the requisite experience to be FBI director. Divine posting on X yesterday that, quote, for those claiming this report is from a bunch of disgruntled FBI staffers who don't like change or are salty ex-FBI critics of Cash and Dan, you're wrong. It's from an alliance of patriotic operational insiders opposed to the abuses and corruption of the FBI, which accelerated under Joe Biden. AM Update spoke exclusively with Director Patel about the report, who rejected that characterization, dismissing the report as a, quote, dossier compiled by anonymous, disgruntled sources, end quote, whom he argued do not know what they're talking about.

10:08He scoffed at the notion that the FBI is, quote, rudderless, pointing out that under his leadership, the Bureau has made almost 30 ,000 arrests this year, a 100 % increase from 2024. 25 ,000 of those for violent crimes, including over 100 MS-13 gang members and 200-plus Trenda Aragua members. 6 ,000 missing children have been found, a 22 % increase over last year. 1 ,700 child predators have been arrested. That's up 10 % from last year. Human trafficking arrests are up 15 % from last year. Domestic terrorism arrests, up 30%. 1 ,900 kilos of fentanyl have been seized. That's enough to kill 127 million Americans.

10:54Four of the top 10 most wanted criminals in the U.S. have been nabbed under his leadership. That's the same number President Biden's FBI arrested over four years. In short, Director Patel maintains, the numbers speak for themselves. This FBI is succeeding beyond anyone's expectations. Director Patel also responding to allegations in the report of his alleged behavior around the Charlie Kirk murder. We will have that piece of the story for you on the MK Show later today. Last week, MS Now reporting three unnamed sources saying President Trump is considering removing Director Patel as top aides grow frustrated by the negative headlines.

11:34Caroline Levitt calling that report completely made up, with the president himself weighing in, saying of Patel, quote, I think he's doing a great job. Luigi Mangione in New York State Court yesterday for the start of a multi-day pretrial hearing, asking a judge to exclude evidence collected during his arrest last year. The defense arguing Mangione's rights were violated when cops searched his backpack and questioned him before obtaining a warrant and reading him his Miranda rights. 27-year-old Mangione accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside of a Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024.

12:13The brutal slaying captured on surveillance video, showing the suspect approaching Thompson from behind and opening fire at close range before fleeing. Thompson hid in the back and in the leg, dying from his injuries. Prosecutors say the words deny, delay, and depose were written on the ammunition, echoing a phrase used to describe how insurance companies dodge paying claims. They argue that they have a substantial body of evidence against Mangione, including video placing him at the scene of the shooting and a manifesto obtained from his backpack upon arrest. The attack leading to a five-day manhunt, cops arresting Mangione at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania, about 230 miles from Manhattan.

12:55Former prosecutor Joey Jackson on CNN explaining the rules governing police interrogations and the circumstances requiring Miranda warnings. Does the prosecution acknowledge they never told Mangione he has a right to remain silent? Indeed they do. But however, there are other arguments, even though they eventually did. But at the time that they were making an accusation towards him, if it's a custodial interrogation doesn't mean you're in cuffs. But if you're not free to leave and they're asking questions that could incriminate you, you have to give Miranda. However, if you're simply investigating a case and not really questioning him such that you're eliciting guilty statements, you don't.

13:34And so there's a fine line with respect to investigatory information being supplied and incriminatory, meaning you're looking for evidence to incriminate them. The police say we just needed to know what the lay of the land was. And that was the basis upon which we asked those questions. While cops were talking to Mangione, one officer searching his backpack, saying she wanted to ensure there, quote, wasn't a bomb or anything inside. Mangione's team arguing that statement was, quote, designed to cover up an illegal warrantless search of the backpack. In the bag, cops finding a loaded magazine, silencer, 3D printed gun, electronic devices, and a journal.

14:10According to court filings, Mangione's journal allegedly containing an entry reading, quote, I finally feel confident about what I will do. The target is insurance. It checks every box. Mangione faces life in prison on the state charges, which include second-degree murder in addition to multiple federal charges. And that'll do it for a raspy AM update. Thanks for bearing with me. I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for the MK Show. We have news to break. Let's see if I can actually do it. Live on SiriusXM's The Megan Kelly Channel, 111 at noon east on youtube.com slash megan kelly and on all podcast platforms