Hegseth accuses Sen Mark Kelly of leaking classified briefing details

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth suggested Sunday that Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., may have violated his oath of office with comments he made to a news organization following a classified briefing.

Kelly told Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation that it was “shocking how deeply we delved into these magazines” when asked whether the Pentagon had briefed lawmakers on the impact of the Iran war on US arms stockpiles.

The senator told Brennan that Tomahawks, the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3), Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) rounds, and Patriot rounds used to defend the United States have been hit hard, saying it would take years to replenish those stockpiles, which could impact a hypothetical U.S. conflict with China.

In response, Hegseth questioned whether Kelly, a former Navy pilot, violated his oath of office and said he would review the Pentagon’s legal counsel’s comments.

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“‘Captain’ Mark Kelly strikes again,” Hegseth wrote to X.

“Now he’s on TV babbling (incorrectly and stupidly) about a SECRET matter* “The Pentagon briefing he received,” he continued. “Did he break his oath again? @DeptofWar legal counsel will review.”

This comes amid a months-long dispute between Hegseth and Kelly over the senator’s participation in a video with some of her Democratic colleagues in Congress urging U.S. military members to ignore “illegal” orders.

The Justice Department had launched an investigation into a video posted online in which six Democratic lawmakers called on soldiers and members of the intelligence community to defy illegal orders from the federal government. The MPs all served in the military or intelligence agencies.

In addition to Kelly, other lawmakers in the video included Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Jason Crow of Colorado.

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Pentagon chief Hegseth said Pentagon legal counsel will review Sen. Mark Kelly’s recent comments. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

“This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,” lawmakers say in the video. he said. “You all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution, just like us. Now, the threats to our Constitution come not only from abroad but also from within. Our laws are clear. You can reject illegal orders. You must reject illegal orders. No one is obliged to carry out orders that are contrary to the law or our Constitution.”

Grand jurors refused to sign off on indictments against the deputies in February.

In November, the Pentagon opened an investigation into Kelly, citing a federal law that allows retired soldiers to be recalled to active duty at the secretary’s behest for possible court-martial or other punishment.

Hegseth attempted to retroactively demote Kelly from the rank of retired captain for his participation in the video; This confirms that refusing illegal orders is a standard part of military protocol.

But a federal court ruling prevented the Pentagon from demoting the lawmaker over the video. The court also ruled that the Pentagon likely violated the First Amendment rights of Kelly and “millions of veterans” when it formally censured him on January 5.

Hegseth later appealed this decision.

Senator Mark Kelly has repeatedly said he will not back down against the Pentagon’s attempts to punish him for the video. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Last week, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals heard oral arguments and was largely skeptical of Hegseth’s attempt to punish Kelly for the video.

“I will not back down from this fight,” Kelly said after the hearing.

Minister Donald Trump After the video was released last fall, he accused the MPs of being “traitors” who were “involved in sedition at the highest level” and who “should go to jail.” He even suggested on video that they should be executed, but later tried to walk back that comment.

Slotkin, who previously worked at the CIA and the Pentagon, was targeted with a bomb threat just days after the clip and Trump’s statements calling for the execution of Democrats.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Kelly for comment.