The American Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, stated in 2016 that soldiers should refuse illegal orders, a position he is now contesting in the context of recent attacks on drug traffickers.

In a 2016 interview, Pete Hegseth, then a Fox News contributor, stated that American soldiers have a duty to refuse illegal orders, in the context of Donald Trump's presidential candidacy. Hegseth criticized Trump's proposals to execute the families of terrorists and to reintroduce torture, emphasizing that the military should not follow illegal orders. Recently, Hegseth became involved in a controversy regarding the Trump administration's attacks on alleged drug traffickers, which led to the deaths of over 80 people. Critics of these attacks consider them illegal executions, and Hegseth dismissed the concerns, comparing traffickers to terrorists. He also accused Democrats of spreading false information and argued that Trump has the authority to make decisive military decisions. Hegseth reiterated that the refusal of illegal orders is an ethical obligation of soldiers, thus contradicting his previous statements.