Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth is once again calling out U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Nevada, online for Kelly’s comments on Hegseth’s war approach.
Hegseth criticized Kelly’s CBS “Face the Nation” interview in a May 10 X post, accusing Kelly of sharing classified information on television.
In the interview, Kelly had discussed his issues with how the Trump administration is using weapons for the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, according to a CBS “Face the Nation” transcript.
The two government figures have long been at odds, with Hegseth censuring Kelly, a former military officer, in January over a November 2025 video reminding military members they should disobey unlawful orders. Days later, Kelly, a retired Navy captain and astronaut, responded by suing Hegseth for threats to reduce Kelly’s military pension.
Here’s what to know about Hegseth’s criticism of Kelly.
What did Hegseth say about Kelly?
In a May 10 X post, Hegseth criticized Kelly’s earlier comments in a televised interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“‘Captain’ Mark Kelly Strikes again. Now he’s blabbing on TV (falsely & dumbly) about a classified Pentagon briefing he received. Did he violate his oath…again? Department of War legal counsel will review,” Hegseth said in the post.
What were Kelly’s comments on ‘Face the Nation’?
In a May 10 interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Kelly discussed his concerns about the U.S. weapons stockpile, in response to a question from host Margaret Brennan on how depleted U.S. munitions are, according to a CBS transcript of the interview.
“Yes, Margaret, we we have, we’ve been tracking it a number of times. We’ve been briefed by the Pentagon on specific munitions,” Kelly responded. “Actually, it’s been pretty detailed on Tomahawks, ATACMS, SM-3, THAAD rounds, Patriot rounds, so those interceptor rounds to defend ourselves.
“And the numbers are, I think it’s fair to say it’s shocking the how deep we have gone into these magazines, because this president got our country into this without a strategic goal, without a plan, without a timeline, and because of that, we’ve expended a lot of munitions, and that means the American people are less safe, whether it’s a conflict in the western Pacific with China or somewhere else in the world, the munitions are depleted,” Kelly continued. “You may have seen me ask the Secretary of Defense this question about how long it’s going to take to replenish. We’re talking about years.”
What is the Oath of Office?
U.S. senators take the following Oath of Office when they are sworn into office, according to the U.S. Senate website:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”
USA TODAY contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Hegseth calls out Sen. Kelly in social media post. See comments
Reporting by Jenna Prestininzi, USA TODAY NETWORK / Detroit Free Press
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