Pete Hegseth's Fresh Feud Explodes — Defense Secretary Accuses 'Babbling' Mark Kelly of Violating His Oath and Sharing Classified Information During TV Appearance
Pete Hegseth and Mark Kelly have been going at it for months.
May 11 2026, Published 1:20 p.m. ET
The Pete Hegseth and Mark Kelly feud has exploded, RadarOnline.com can reveal, as the Secretary of Defense accused the Arizona senator of publicly revealing details from a classified Pentagon briefing.
The two rivals have been at it ever since Kelly and other Democrats recorded a video urging military officials not to comply with illegal orders in November 2025.
'The American People Are Less Safe'
Hegseth was left fuming over Kelly's recent comments on 'Face the Nation.'
On Sunday, May 10, Kelly appeared on Face the Nation and discussed his concerns about America's weapons stockpile during the war in Iran, after host Margaret Brennan asked the politician how depleted U.S. munitions currently are.
"Yes, Margaret, we have, we've been tracking it a number of times. We've been briefed by the Pentagon on specific munitions," Kelly said during his interview. "Actually, it's been pretty detailed on Tomahawks, ATACMS, SM-3, THAAD rounds, Patriot rounds, so those interceptor rounds to defend ourselves."
He continued, "And the numbers are, I think it's fair to say it's shocking 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.
"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," he added.
Pete Hegseth Rages: 'Did He Violate His Oath?'
Kelly shared his concerns about the U.S. military's apparent lack of weapons amid the war in Iran.
However, Kelly's comments were enough to grab Hegseth's attention, as the former reality star raged on X.
"'Captain' Mark Kelly Strikes again," the 45-year-old said. "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."
Kelly was quick to respond and claimed, "We had this conversation in a public hearing a week ago, and you said it would take 'years' to replenish some of these stockpiles."
"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," Kelly added, and shared a video of the duo's brutal exchange late week at a Senate hearing, where Hegseth defended President Trump's 2027 defense budget.
Mark Kelly Urges Military Officials to Refuse Unlawful Orders
Hegseth and Kelly have been feuding for months, with the pair facing off at a Senate Hearing last week.
Last year, Kelly joined other Democratic lawmakers in a video appearing to encourage members of the military to refuse any unlawful orders from the federal government.
"Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution," the lawmakers, including Kelly, said. The video went viral, ruffling plenty of feathers, as Trump labeled the participants "traitors."
The Department of Justice then opened a probe into the lawmakers' statements, but grand jurors are said to have declined to approve charges connected to the case.
When that failed, Hegseth attempted to retroactively demote the senator from his retired rank of captain, which kicked off a legal battle.
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The Secrarty of Defense has attempted to demote Kelly from his rank of captain, to no avail.
However, a federal judge blocked the attempt and ruled the government had likely violated Kelly's First Amendment rights. Hegseth appealed the ruling, but as of the moment, the attempt seems futile.
Kelly had sued Hegseth after his demotion ploy, calling the Defense Sec's decision a "violation of my rights as an American..."
A federal judge ruled Hegseth was unlawfully retaliating against Kelly.
