2 DEC 25 SITREP

1. Major Scoop: Hegseth–Wicker Call Over Boat Strikes

• The Department of War confirmed a previously undisclosed and highly consequential scoop revealing that Secretary Pete Hegseth personally called Senator Roger Wicker the night before the story became public and gave him a complete explanation of the reasoning behind the twenty one strikes conducted in the SOUTHCOM region.
• Officials highlighted that this secret call had never been acknowledged in any prior briefing and its exposure proved that senior leadership attempted to address Wicker’s growing concerns privately before his inquiry expanded into a full investigation.
• The Department of War reported that it had already delivered eighteen detailed strike briefings to the House Armed Services Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee in order to ensure lawmakers received thorough operational information as pressure intensified.
• Senator Mark Kelly faced a separate misconduct investigation tied to allegations involving his retired Navy status, and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan was ordered to conduct a full review and provide an official update on December 10th.

2. Military Operations Involving Venezuela, the Caribbean, and the United States Navy

• The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group was deployed into the Caribbean to give President Trump immediate operational choices for actions that could involve Venezuela, regional instability, and rapid response requirements.
• United States forces conducted continuous assessments of conditions around Venezuela and remained prepared to execute presidential orders across the Western Hemisphere on short notice.
• Departments monitored Ukrainian unmanned underwater vehicle attacks on tankers in the Black Sea as a new model of maritime threat that could target carriers, logistics ships, and essential naval infrastructure.
• Senior leaders accelerated acquisition reforms to deliver new naval vessels and drone systems more quickly, particularly because roughly twenty percent of active naval assets were already committed to operations in the SOUTHCOM region.

3. Portland's Tree Lighting Ceremony Without Christmas Along With Chants of "Free Palestine"

• Portland, Oregon held its tree lighting ceremony at Pioneer Courthouse Square and removed all mention of Christmas from the event name, the announcements, the program, and the public messaging.
• A speaker wearing a Palestinian flag led the crowd in chanting "Free Palestine" before performing the intertribal "Strong Woman Song" with Indigenous participants, shifting the tone of the gathering toward political activism.
• The ceremony used a 75-foot Douglas fir as the central display yet emphasized cultural and political themes rather than Christmas.
• Large numbers of attendees and online observers expressed anger that the holiday tradition was stripped of Christmas references and overtaken by political protest during what was expected to be a community celebration.

FINAL WORD

Congressional investigations, regional military operations, and public cultural conflicts now collide in a way that exposes deep national strain. The actions involving senior lawmakers and military leadership show a government under pressure to justify decisions while maintaining readiness in volatile regions like Venezuela and the Caribbean. The upheaval at Portland’s tree lighting ceremony demonstrates how even long standing community traditions are becoming battlegrounds for political identity, revealing that domestic unrest and foreign policy challenges are increasingly inseparable.