On Friday, President Trump refuted awareness of a 2018 Navy SEAL mission in North Korea during his first term, following a report by The New York Times about the operation’s failure.
When questioned about the administration’s engagement with North Korea after the event, Trump replied, “I don’t know anything about it, no. I’d have to look into it, but I know nothing about that.”
In response to whether he could verify the operation, Trump stated in the Oval Office, “I don’t know anything about it. I’m hearing it now for the first time.”
The Times detailed a covert mission by Navy SEALs, purportedly with Trump’s explicit authorization, aiming to plant an electronic device to intercept communications from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un amid nuclear negotiations with the U.S.
According to the Times, the mission failed after the SEALs fired on a North Korean vessel, resulting in fatalities, and then withdrew without deploying the device. The Trump administration reportedly failed to inform Congress at any time concerning the mission.
The mission was given in 2018 to SEAL Team 6’s Red Squadron, which is the unit that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011 in Afghanistan.
The White House declined to comment on the Times story.
