URGENT UPDATE: Tensions escalated today as Senator Mark Kelly confronted former Navy combat veteran Pete Hegseth during a classified Pentagon briefing regarding an ongoing investigation into Kelly’s remarks about military conduct. The Pentagon confirmed it is intensifying its review into Kelly following a controversial video he released urging troops to resist “illegal orders” from the Trump administration.
During the briefing, Kelly pressed Hegseth about military strikes in the Caribbean, but Hegseth diverted the conversation to the investigation surrounding Kelly’s video, which has sparked significant political backlash. “He actually brought it up in the brief, oddly,” Kelly told reporters. “It shows this is very performative for him, even in front of a group of senators.”
Senator Chris Coons verified that the issue was discussed “tangentially” during the briefing. Hegseth confirmed that details regarding a September strike that killed survivors on a Venezuelan drug boat would only be made available to members of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees. Kelly, who serves on the panel, will have access to this footage on Wednesday.
Kelly accused Hegseth of recycling old talking points from 2016, asserting that Hegseth’s comments reflect a lack of transparency from the administration regarding its intentions in Venezuela. “I said, ‘By the way, you were specifically speaking about this president,’” Kelly recalled, emphasizing the implications of Hegseth’s stance.
A spokesperson for Senator Dan Sullivan, also on the Armed Services Committee, criticized Kelly’s video as “irresponsible” but stated that Sullivan does not support the Pentagon’s time spent on investigating Kelly.
As the situation develops, the impact of the Pentagon’s investigation could have significant ramifications for both Kelly and Hegseth, especially amid heightened scrutiny of U.S. military actions abroad.
This escalating confrontation underscores a deepening divide within military and political leadership as discussions surrounding U.S. foreign policy intensify.
Stay tuned for further updates as this story unfolds.
