Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called for a second investigation into Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, over comments Kelly made about US weapon stockpiles during an interview on CBS’ Face the Nation. Kelly responded by pointing to Hegseth’s own words from a recent public hearing, where the defense secretary said it would take “years” to replenish some of the depleted stockpiles.
This latest move by Hegseth comes just days after a federal appeals court appeared ready to reject his efforts to punish Kelly over the senator’s call to US service members to refuse illegal orders. Kelly had sued Hegseth in January after the Pentagon announced it would pursue administrative action against him, including reducing his last military rank and issuing a letter of censure, reports CNN.
This is not the first time Hegseth has gone after Kelly. In February, a federal judge shut down Hegseth’s attempts to punish the senator, ruling that his actions were unconstitutional. Judge Richard Leon wrote in a 29-page ruling that Hegseth was violating Kelly’s First Amendment rights and that his moves were an impermissible form of government retaliation. Hegseth said he would “immediately” appeal the decision, but Kelly stood firm.
The depleted US weapon stockpiles are becoming a serious national security concern as the war with Iran drags on.
Kelly said, “This might not be over yet, because this President and this administration do not know how to admit when they’re wrong,” Kelly said. “One thing is for sure: however hard the Trump administration may fight to punish me and silence others, I will fight ten times harder. This is too important.”
His comments about weapon stockpiles come more than two months into the US war with Iran. The US military has significantly used up its supply of key missiles during the war, creating what has been described as a “near-term risk” of running out of ammunition in a future conflict.
According to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the US military has used at least 45% of its Precision Strike Missiles, at least half of its THAAD missiles, and nearly 50% of its Patriot air defense interceptor missiles.
In a video posted on social media, Kelly pointed directly to Hegseth’s own public statements to push back against the investigation. “This is not a matter of opinion, this is a matter of fact,” Kelly said. “We had this conversation in a public hearing a week ago and you said it would take ‘years’ to replenish some of these stockpiles. That’s not classified, it’s a quote from you.”
Hegseth has faced growing scrutiny over his leadership style, and his efforts to reshape military religious culture have also drawn significant pushback from within the ranks. The conflict between Hegseth and Kelly is part of a broader pattern of the Trump administration taking aim at its critics.
In several other cases, judges have blocked the administration’s efforts, including killing criminal cases brought against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, and ruling against attempts to limit the work of whistleblower attorney Mark Zaid, reports CNN. Questions about Hegseth’s spending priorities have also surfaced, with reports of millions spent on lobster and ice cream raising eyebrows while sailors reportedly went without food.
Kelly has made clear he will not stop speaking out about the risks posed by the depleted stockpiles. “It’s clear that the Trump administration is trying to silence me and intimidate me into not speaking out about the depleted stockpiles,” Kelly said. “But I will not be silenced. I will continue to speak out about the dangers of a depleted stockpile and the risks it poses to our national security.”
Published: May 11, 2026 10:30 am