Sen. Kelly says Pete Hegseth 'totally unqualified' after being bashed over display of medals

[ad_1] In an look on “Jimmy Kimmel Stay,” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. blasted Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth, calling him unqualified and saying he simply needs to please President Donald Trump.

The feedback got here after Hegseth requested the Navy secretary to evaluate Kelly’s feedback in a video to troops for "doubtlessly illegal conduct," in response to a memo posted on social media by the Pentagon.

The Arizona senator was certainly one of six Democrats featured in a video final week addressed to army members.

"The threats to our Structure aren't simply coming from aboard, however from proper right here proper at residence. Our legal guidelines are clear. You'll be able to refuse unlawful orders," the group stated. "Nobody has to hold out orders that violate the regulation or our Structure."

The Division of Protection on Monday stated it's launching a "thorough evaluate" into Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, citing "critical allegations of misconduct."

In the meantime, Kelly instructed Kimmel that the president and his administration’s response sows worry, calling it an instance of “how democracies die.”

“It's proper out of the playbook, , the playbook of authoritarianism. That is what they do. They attempt to suppress speech,” Kelly stated. “Each certainly one of us has First Modification speech rights, and I feel the president is infringing on these and he's sending, he's sending a reasonably sturdy message. You do not need to cross him, and your loyalty must be to him. It mustn't. It ought to all the time be to the Structure.”

Kelly stated that Hegseth is “completely unqualified” for the job and that “he simply needs to please the president.”

“He can go after me beneath the Uniform Code of Army Justice, which is regulation within the army, which is type of wild, as a result of we recited one thing within the Uniform Code of Army Justice, and he will prosecute me beneath the Uniform Code of Army Justice,” Kelly stated. “It's so ridiculous, it is nearly like you may't make this s--- up.”

Kelly additionally instructed Kimmel how he came upon that Trump first reacted to the video with the submit, detailing that he was with Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., when a staffer interrupted their briefing and slid her a bit of paper.

“So anyone is available in in the midst of our temporary, slips her piece of paper and I check out the piece of paper, and it says ‘the president is looking on your execution’-- to her, to Elissa, so she, she appears at me, she will get up, she walks out,” Kelly stated. “About 5 minutes later, she comes again in, appears at me and says, ‘Effectively, he is calling on your execution too.’ So I wasn't off the hook.”

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) holds a city corridor to debate the influence of proposed Republican cuts to Medicaid and meals help advantages at Chiricahua Neighborhood Well being Middle in Sierra Vista, Arizona, U.S., Might 29, 2025.

Rebecca Noble/Reuters

Hegseth bashed the Arizona senator earlier this week, accusing him of incorrectly carrying his army medals and calling the video addressed to troops that Kelly and different Democratic lawmakers had been in a "politically-motivated affect operation."

"So 'Captain' Kelly, not solely did your sedition video deliberately undercut good order & self-discipline...however you may't even show your uniform correctly," Hegseth stated in a submit shared on X on Tuesday.

Hegseth's submit was in response to Kelly's assertion on Monday concerning the Pentagon's alleged evaluate, which included a photograph of his army medals.

"Your medals are out of order & rows reversed. When/if you're recalled to lively obligation, it will begin with a uniform inspection," Hegseth added.

"The army already has clear procedures for dealing with illegal orders. It doesn't want political actors injecting doubt into an already clear chain of command," Hegseth stated on Tuesday.

All army officers who've retired after 20 years of service are in a position to be recalled to lively obligation, and if they're decided to have engaged in misconduct, they're topic to army prosecution -- doubtlessly a court-martial.

Kelly served for 25 years within the Navy and at NASA, retiring in 2011.

The code referenced by the Protection Division may topic Kelly to an "administrative measure," which may embody a discount in rank -- and a discount in his pension entitlement.