Senator Mark Kelly put Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on blast over his controversial leadership. His comments come as Hegseth is already dealing with public heat over recent boat strikes and previous issues that have followed him through his time in the role.
The former Fox News host has been at the center of several controversies in recent months, with critics pointing to his judgment and the way he presents himself in public. This has led to his name being a mainstay in the headlines, and Kelly said he felt compelled to respond after Hegseth threatened to bring him to court for a military trial.
Kelly, a Navy veteran and the senior senator from Arizona, said the problem goes far beyond political back and forth. In a speech that spread widely online, he described behavior he believes does not match the gravity of Hegseth’s job. “Think about it: He runs around on stage discussing lethality, warrior ethos, and killing people. We have the most skilled and capable military this world has ever known. That’s not the message that should come from the Secretary of Defence,” Kelly said.
He then laid out what he sees when Hegseth appears at rallies or speeches. According to Kelly, the performances do more harm than good. He said Hegseth “like he’s a 12-year-old playing army. It’s ludicrous, it’s embarrassing, and I can’t imagine what our allies think of looking at that guy in this job, on of the most important jobs in our country.”
🚨HOLY COW: Sen. Mark Kelly just OBLITERATED Pete Hegseth – and by extension Trump himself – with one of the most brutal takedowns yet.
Kelly says Trump put a man in charge of the Pentagon who “runs around on a stage like he’s a 12-year-old playing army.” A guy so unserious, so… pic.twitter.com/Tdz4lzuxYw
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) December 1, 2025
Kelly said the issue is not only how Hegseth talks about the military but the responsibilities attached to his post. Hegseth is directly involved in decisions tied to America’s nuclear forces, something Kelly called attention to when he pointed out the secretary’s recent online activity. “He is part of the national command authority for nuclear weapons, and just last night he was sharing online videos of turtles with rocket-propelled grenades,” he said. “Have you seen this? This is the Secretary of Defence, this is not a serious person.”
Kelly also brought up the earlier Signalgate episode, which involved Hegseth’s use of an unsecured messaging app. The incident fueled a debate inside Washington at the time over how he handled sensitive information. Kelly did not revisit the details but made clear where he stood. “He should have been let go after Signalgate, and every day since then,” he said.
So far, Hegseth has not responded to Kelly’s remarks, and the White House has continued to back him publicly, even as questions surrounding the legality of the boat strikes is an ongoing debate.
Hegseth’s approach to the job, both online and on stage continues to draw criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.
At a White House Cabinet meeting addressing the controversial boat strike, Hegseth said he never saw any survivors in the water, explaining that the vessel “exploded in fire, smoke, you can’t see anything. … This is called the fog of war.”
He added that he “didn’t stick around” for the rest of the Sept. 2 mission after the first strike and that the admiral on scene “made the right call” in ordering the second hit, which Hegseth said the admiral “had complete authority to do.”
