President Trump said he doesn’t know anything about a 2019 Navy SEAL mission in North Korea to plant an electronic listening device that reportedly fell apart, leaving North Korean civilians dead.
The mission, which took place during Mr. Trump’s first term, was first reported by The New York Times on Friday. Mr. Trump had directly approved the mission, according to The Times.
But Mr. Trump insisted Friday that he doesn’t know anything about the operation and couldn’t even confirm it happened.
“I don’t know anything about it,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I could look but I know nothing about it.”
When asked if he could confirm the mission, Mr. Trump again said he was hearing about it for the first time.
The Times report said that the Navy Seals had traveled to North Korea to plant an electronic device that would intercept the communications of the country’s leader Kim Jong Un. However, the operation went awry.
SEAL Team Six’s Red Squadron had rehearsed for months a plan that would require the Navy to sneak a nuclear-powered submarine into North Korean waters alongside two mini subs of SEALs, who would motor along the shore and then swim to the target and implant the electronic device.
A North Korean boat operated by two or three civilians diving for shellfish approached the water during the operation. Fearing they had been discovered, the SEALs opened fire and killed the civilians, according to The Times report.
The report also said the administration did not notify members of Congress about the failed mission.
SEAL Team Six is a highly-secretive U.S. military unit that specializes in dangerous and high-risk missions. They’ve carried out several sensitive operations, including killing Osama bin Laden in 2011.
Tensions remain between the U.S. and North Korea. In 2019, Mr. Trump made history as the first sitting president to set foot in North Korea, where he shook hands with Mr. Kim as they discussed Pyongyang’s potential denuclearization.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.