{"id":2521881,"date":"2025-12-16T18:00:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T23:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mark-kelly-spars-with-pete-hegseth-in-classified-briefing\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T18:02:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T23:02:56","slug":"mark-kelly-spars-with-pete-hegseth-in-classified-briefing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mark-kelly-spars-with-pete-hegseth-in-classified-briefing\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Kelly spars with Pete Hegseth in classified briefing"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmark-kelly-spars-with-pete-hegseth-in-classified-briefing%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2521881&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and War Secretary Pete Hegseth clashed during a classified Senate briefing on recent U.S. military strikes against Venezuelan drug boats. The disagreement arose when Hegseth deflected Kelly&#8217;s questions about the strikes by referencing a Pentagon misconduct review concerning a video featuring Kelly and other former military veterans urging troops to disobey alleged illegal orders from the Trump governance. Kelly criticized Hegseth for bringing up this issue inappropriately during the briefing, suggesting that Hegseth was using the moment for political posturing. The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >incident highlighted ongoing tensions<\/a> around clarity regarding the strikes, including disputes over the limited release of videos depicting the military actions. Senator Chris Coons confirmed the topic came up tangentially, noting that the video of a second strike would be shown only to members of the Armed Services Committees, including Kelly. The confrontation underscores broader political and military controversies related to U.S. operations near Venezuela and the scrutiny of veterans involved in political discourse.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Mark Kelly spars with Pete Hegseth in classified briefing<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2446777\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mark-kelly\/\">Mark Kelly<\/a> (D-AZ) and War Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pete-hegseth\/\">Pete Hegseth<\/a> exchanged barbs behind closed doors Tuesday over the Pentagon&rsquo;s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/3918969\/pentagon-escalates-mark-kelly-misconduct-review\/\">escalating &ldquo;misconduct&rdquo; review<\/a> into the retired Navy combat veteran.<\/p>\n<p>The encounter came during a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3919603\/pete-hegseth-gop-clash-refusal-release-venezuelan-boat-strikes-video\/\">classified all-senators briefing<\/a> at the Capitol on recent U.S. military strikes against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/here-are-the-groups-trump-has-designated-as-terrorist-organizations\/\" title=\"Here are the groups Trump has designated as terrorist organizations\">alleged drug boats<\/a> off the Venezuelan coast.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3919648\/chris-coons-warns-democrats-against-basking-2025-electoral-successes\/\">Coons warns Democrats against basking in 2025 electoral successes and proposes &#8216;more affirmative vision&#8217; for future gains<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3919603\/pete-hegseth-gop-clash-refusal-release-venezuelan-boat-strikes-video\/\">Hegseth and GOP clash over refusal to release Venezuelan boat strikes video<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3918874\/thune-floats-cruz-vote-dc-flight-safety-ndaa-dispute\/\">Thune floats Cruz vote on DC flight safety after NDAA dispute<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>According to Kelly, Hegseth deflected his question on strikes in the Caribbean by making reference to the ongoing review over a video in which Kelly and other former Democratic military and security veterans urged troops to disobey unspecified &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joe-concha-slams-democrats-who-urged-troops-to-reject-illegal-orders\/\" title=\"Joe Concha slams Democrats who urged troops to reject \u2018illegal orders\u2019\">illegal orders&#038;rdquo<\/a>; from the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He actually brought it up in the brief, oddly. Just some reiterating his talking points on this when I was specifically asking him questions about strikes,&rdquo; Kelly recalled to reporters. &ldquo;[It] again shows this is very performative for him, even in front of a group of senators.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Department of War did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) confirmed the issue arose &ldquo;tangentially&rdquo; in relation to the subject of the briefing, in which Hegseth confirmed a video of a second strike in September to kill survivors on a suspected Venezuelan drug boat will be made available to only those on the Senate and House Armed Services Committees. Kelly serves on the panel and will view the footage on Wednesday, which has only been shown to top congressional leaders.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth expressed &ldquo;talking points&rdquo; on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-no-new-proactive-step-on-tiktok-deal-under-biden\/\" title=\"White House: No New \u2018Proactive Step\u2019 on TikTok Deal Under Biden\">social media video<\/a> that prompted warnings from the Pentagon of possible court martial proceedings, according to Kelly, who said he eventually noted to Hegseth that the then-<em>Fox News<\/em> contributor in 2016 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/12\/08\/politics\/hegseth-trump-warned-unlawful-orders-kfile\">made similar remarks<\/a> about disobeying illegal orders in the context of then-candidate Trump&rsquo;s first presidential campaign. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mark Kelly, left, and Pete Hegseth, right. (AP photos)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;I said, &lsquo;Hey, these are the same views you had in 2016.&rsquo; Very eloquently, I said, like the way he expressed himself in 2016 about this same issue,&rdquo; Kelly recalled. &ldquo;I said, &lsquo;By the way, you were specifically speaking about this president.&rsquo;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Kelly said Hegseth did not respond to his remark.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3919603\/pete-hegseth-gop-clash-refusal-release-venezuelan-boat-strikes-video\/\">HEGSETH AND GOP CLASH OVER REFUSAL TO RELEASE VENEZUELAN BOAT STRIKES VIDEO<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Kelly went on to accuse the administration of lacking transparency on a foreign affairs issue that&rsquo;s created a political firestorm over Trump&rsquo;s possible broader intent to force regime change against Venezuelan President Nicol&aacute;s Maduro.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), who serves on the Armed Services Committee, said Tuesday that the senator views Kelly&rsquo;s video as &ldquo;irresponsible&rdquo; but that &ldquo;he does not believe it is a good use of the Pentagon&rsquo;s time to investigate Senator Kelly,&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AnthonyAdragna\/status\/2001027750472425680?s=20\">according to <em>Politico<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kelly, Hegseth clash in classified briefing over Pentagon probe<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2521882,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-collage-gd5c0l59c-1764120470532-e1764523569605.jpg?1764505596&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[47012,3896,35898,44930,68932],"class_list":["post-2521881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-classified-briefing","tag-debate","tag-mark-kelly","tag-pete-hegseth","tag-sparring"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-collage-gd5c0l59c-1764120470532-e1764523569605.jpg?1764505596&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2521881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2521881"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2521881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2521885,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2521881\/revisions\/2521885"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2521882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2521881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2521881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2521881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}