Hegseth Suggests Kelly Be Investigated Over Weapons Stockpile Comments
Hegseth said legal counsel will review Kelly after the senator said depleted munitions leave the United States less safe, a claim Kelly says was not classified.
- On Monday, May 11, 2026, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon’s legal counsel will review whether Senator Mark Kelly violated his oath by disclosing purportedly classified information regarding U.S. weapon stockpiles.
- The dispute was triggered by Senator Kelly’s Sunday appearance on Face the Nation, where he warned that American inventories of critical munitions—including Tomahawk missiles, SM-3 interceptors, and Patriot missiles—have been severely depleted by the ongoing conflict in Iran.
- Hegseth responded on social media, accusing the Senator of "blabbing" details from a private, classified Pentagon briefing and referring the matter for legal review to determine if the disclosure constitutes a security violation.
- Senator Kelly has vigorously denied the accusation, countering that the information he discussed was not classified but was actually a direct quote from Hegseth himself during a public Senate Armed Services Committee hearing held in late April.
- This legal referral marks an escalation in a long-standing feud between the two, which includes an ongoing attempt by Hegseth to reduce Kelly’s retired Navy rank and pension over a video the Senator made regarding the right of service members to refuse illegal orders.
110 Articles
110 Articles
Hegseth rebukes Sen. Kelly for 'blabbing' classified weapons stockpile details on TV
WASHINGTON — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth sharply rebuked Sen. Mark Kelly on Sunday for what he described as the Arizona Democrat’s reckless disclosure of details from a classified Pentagon briefing on U.S. weapons stockpiles strained by operations against Iran. In a pointed post on X, Hegseth referred to the retired Navy captain as “Captain”… The post Hegseth rebukes Sen. Kelly for ‘blabbing’ classified weapons stockpile details on TV appeared…
Hegseth again looks to punish Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over military comments
Sen. Mark Kelly walks past Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine before the start of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, April 30, 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images) (WASHINGTON) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon will review whether Sen. Mark Kelly improperly disclosed classified information when the Arizona Democrat and retired Navy captain raised concerns abo…
Pete Hegseth Opens Second Pentagon Investigation into Senator Mark Kelly Over Oath Violation
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth escalated his ongoing feud with Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly on Sunday, calling for a Pentagon legal review of comments Kelly made on national television regarding US weapons stockpiles depleted by the ongoing conflict with Iran. Kelly appeared on CBS’s Face the Nation and told host Margaret Brennan that he found […] The post Pete Hegseth Opens Second Pentagon Investigation into Senator Mark Kelly Over Oat…
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