A Yale Law professor has sharply criticized the Trump administration’s latest military strike, calling it a serious misstep both legally and strategically. Margaret M. Donovan, a Visiting Clinical Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School, appeared on MSNBC Saturday to discuss the incident involving a foreign vessel reportedly carrying fentanyl.
According to Donovan, the administration may have created a new legal problem for itself after returning two survivors of the attack to their home countries—a move she believes was made to avoid judicial scrutiny. “The Trump administration stumbled into the last place they want to be,” Donovan said. “Which is before an Article III judge.”
The strike reportedly targeted a foreign boat suspected of smuggling fentanyl, but details about the individuals on board have remained unclear. Donovan argued that by repatriating the survivors so quickly, the administration effectively undermined its own narrative. “By sending these people back to their apparent countries,” she said, “the Trump administration was implying they aren’t Venezuelan and they are apparently not that dangerous.”
The MSNBC host interjected, noting that the decision appeared to be “an admission that either they haven’t thought it through… or these people aren’t who they claimed them to be.” Donovan agreed, suggesting that the government may not be accurately identifying those targeted in recent operations. “It’s possible that the federal government has been killing not who they’ve been telling us,” she warned.
The situation took a more troubling turn as reports surfaced that a senior military official had resigned amid growing tensions over the strikes. Donovan described the resignation as “a blaring alarm bell” and “a bright red flag.” She emphasized that such high-level departures during active operations are “very unusual,” adding, “That’s a sign. That’s a clue.”
In her closing remarks, Donovan criticized the administration’s handling of the strike and its aftermath. “None of that holds up,” she said. “Their actions today undermined all of their legal justifications.”
Her comments come as the Trump administration faces mounting scrutiny over the legality and transparency of its military operations. Legal experts warn that actions like these could invite constitutional challenges and further strain the already tense relationship between the executive branch and the judiciary.