Hegseth: Senator Mark Kelly Revealed Classified Information on US Munitions Stockpiles

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Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) voiced concerns Sunday about the state of US weapons stockpiles following the recent conflict involving Iran, describing the extent of depleted munitions reserves as “shocking” during an appearance on CBS News’s Face the Nation.

“I think it’s fair to say it’s shocking how deep we have gone into these magazines,” Kelly said, arguing that the United States had exhausted significant amounts of military hardware without a clearly defined strategy. “Because of that, we’ve expended a lot of munitions, and that means the American people are less safe.”

Kelly also warned that diminished stockpiles could affect America’s ability to respond to future conflicts, including a potential confrontation involving China in the Pacific region.

The comments drew a heated response from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who accused Kelly of publicly discussing information from a classified Pentagon briefing.

“‘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?” Hegseth wrote on social media. He added that Pentagon legal counsel would review the matter.

Kelly rejected the criticism and argued that his remarks referenced information Hegseth himself had already discussed publicly during congressional testimony.

“We had this conversation in a public hearing a week ago and you said it would take ‘years’ to replenish some of these stockpiles,” Kelly wrote in response. “That’s not classified, it’s a quote from you.”

Kelly also criticized the administration’s handling of the conflict, saying officials had failed to clearly explain the mission’s goals and timeline to the American public.

The exchange is the latest clash between Kelly and the Trump administration. Kelly previously drew criticism from administration officials after participating in a video urging military personnel not to follow unlawful orders, a message some Republicans characterized as encouraging insubordination.

No formal investigation has been publicly announced, though Hegseth said Pentagon attorneys would examine Kelly’s remarks.