Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, has referred Senator Mark Kelly to Pentagon lawyers for allegedly disclosing classified information about depleted US weapons stockpiles. Kelly, however, contends that the information he shared came directly from Hegseth himself, spoken in public and under oath.
Background of the Dispute
Speaking on CBS News's Face the Nation on Sunday, Kelly stated that American inventories of Tomahawk cruise missiles, Army Tactical Missile Systems, SM-3 interceptors, THAAD rounds, and Patriot missiles had been severely drawn down during the Iran conflict. He warned that replenishment could take years, leaving the United States vulnerable in any future confrontation with China.
Hegseth responded on social media platform X, accusing Kelly of disclosing details from a classified Pentagon briefing. He wrote, "Now he's blabbing on TV (falsely & dumbly) about a *CLASSIFIED* Pentagon briefing he received. Did he violate his oath…again?" Hegseth added that the department's legal counsel would review whether the senator had violated his oath.
Kelly's Rebuttal
Kelly countered that the information did not originate from a classified briefing but from Hegseth's own statements during a late April Senate hearing on the Pentagon's future budget and the war with Iran. Kelly wrote, "That's not classified, it's a quote from you. This war is coming at a serious cost and you and the president still haven't explained to the American people what the goal is."
The exchange indeed took place on 30 April at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, conducted in an open session. Kelly asked Hegseth directly: "How many years will it take to replenish our munitions from Trump's war in Iran?" Hegseth responded, "Months and years. Fast."
Ongoing Confrontation
This incident is the latest in a series of disputes between the two men, dating back to last fall. Kelly joined five fellow Democratic lawmakers—all veterans or former intelligence officials—in a video reminding military personnel that they are legally obligated to refuse unlawful orders. The other participants included Senators Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Representatives Chris Deluzio, Chrissy Houlahan, Maggie Goodlander, and Jason Crow.
Hegseth responded by formally censuring Kelly, opening a Pentagon investigation, and seeking to strip him of his retired rank of captain under a federal statute that allows retired service members to be recalled for potential court-martial. However, a federal court temporarily blocked both actions, ruling that the Pentagon had likely violated Kelly's First Amendment rights and those of millions of military retirees. Hegseth appealed, and last week a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit heard oral arguments, showing little receptiveness to the government's position.
Political Fallout
Former President Donald Trump had called the six lawmakers traitors who had committed sedition and suggested they should face execution, a comment he later attempted to retract. Days afterward, Slotkin, a former CIA officer, received a bomb threat. The Department of Justice separately opened a criminal investigation into the video, but a grand jury declined to bring charges in February.
The Pentagon has declined to comment on the scope of its legal review, the potential consequences for Kelly, or whether the investigation has already begun.
