All articles tagged with #mark kelly
Sen. Mark Kelly is actively campaigning for Democratic candidates in swing states like South Carolina and Iowa, urging party members to maximize voter outreach. He criticized President Trump's recent financial incentives as a 'payoff' to buy votes and condemned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's military purges as damaging to national readiness.
Sen. Mark Kelly and Rep. Ro Khanna said during New Hampshire campaign stops that they are weighing a 2028 presidential run and will discuss the idea with their families, hoping for full buy-in before deciding. Kelly stressed the importance of his family’s support and noted national-security questions would factor into any bid, while Khanna framed his “new economic patriotism” agenda as central to the party’s future and said he hopes his economic vision influences the Democratic platform regardless of whether he runs.
During a Georgia campaign stop, Sen. Jon Ossoff called Donald Trump a 'draft-dodging, crook president' while defending Sen. Mark Kelly and criticizing Trump’s handling of conflicts, including in Iran; the White House fired back with insults toward Ossoff.
Democratic Senator Mark Kelly told CBS's Face the Nation that President Trump should replace his top negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff with more experienced diplomats to steer the Iran talks, arguing the current team risks prolonging the conflict and fracturing coalition efforts as regional tensions and oil-market volatility grow.
Sen. Mark Kelly’s comments about depleted U.S. munitions prompted Fox News’s Pete Hegseth to refer him to Pentagon lawyers for allegedly disclosing a classified briefing; Kelly says the remarks came from Hegseth’s own statements at an open Senate hearing, not a classified session. The episode is part of a broader feud over Kelly’s conduct, including past censure attempts and a DOJ probe into a video about refusing unlawful orders, while a court blocked parts of the retaliation and the Pentagon declined to comment on the current review.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth asked the Pentagon to review Mark Kelly's comments about US munitions stockpiles, accusing him of discussing a classified briefing on TV. Kelly denied violating any oath, saying his statements were made in a public hearing and on X, and that the remark about replenishment times wasn’t classified. The Pentagon has not issued its own statement beyond pointing to Hegseth’s post.
Sen. Mark Kelly faces a renewed Pentagon review after Pete Hegseth urged officials to investigate him again for remarks about U.S. weapon stockpiles on CBS’ Face the Nation. Hegseth called Kelly’s comments about a classified briefing “blabbing on TV,” while Kelly warned that munitions shortages could make the U.S. less safe. The Pentagon declined to comment beyond pointing to Hegseth’s post. The move follows earlier efforts to sanction Kelly over a 2023 video and a federal appeals court hinting it might reject those efforts. CNN has reported significant stockpile reductions in missiles and air-defense systems amid the Iran war.
Fox contributor Pete Hegseth says Senator Mark Kelly will face a Department of War legal review for comments about a classified Pentagon briefing on the Iran war, after Kelly discussed stockpile depletion and criticized the administration; Kelly’s remarks during a Face the Nation interview prompted the clash, with Hegseth previously calling Kelly’s actions 'seditious' in other disputes.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona criticized the Trump administration’s FY2027 defense budget request of about $1.5 trillion as “outrageous,” noting it would be a 42% increase from 2026 and is nearly the size of defense spending for much of the world. A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, he questions costly items like a space-based “Golden Dome” missile system and warns of depleted munitions stocks amid the Iran war, arguing the administration lacks a clear strategy. The White House may seek a supplemental Iran-war package, with cost estimates ranging from about $25 billion to possibly $50 billion, further complicating spending decisions and national security assumptions.
An federal appeals court panel signaled it would not side with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in his bid to censure and demote Sen. Mark Kelly over a November video in which Kelly urged service members to refuse illegal orders, effectively upholding the lower court’s blocking ruling and underscoring that Kelly did not say the words Hegseth claimed.
A federal appeals court panel signals it will likely reject Pentagon plans to punish Sen. Mark Kelly for advising troops to disobey unlawful orders, keeping the high-profile dispute alive and potentially sending the case to the Supreme Court. The drama has elevated Kelly’s national standing as a Democratic critic of the Trump administration and fueled fundraising (more than $25 million in six months), while fueling speculation he could seriously pursue a 2028 presidential bid.
A three-judge DC Circuit Court of Appeals panel appeared ready to reject Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s bid to punish Sen. Mark Kelly for urging service members to refuse unlawful orders, with judges highlighting the principle that veterans should be free to speak out and casting doubt on the administration’s retaliatory-punishment theory as prosecutors previously pursued but were rebuffed in indictments over the video.
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Iran conflict, Sen. Mark Kelly pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to clarify his March pledge of “no quarter” and “no mercy” for enemies, questioning the legal meaning and the Department of Defense’s approach while Hegseth argued the military fights to win and follows the law. Kelly also questioned depleted munitions stocks, and the exchange comes amid a broader, long-running feud between the two, including a civil lawsuit Kelly filed against Hegseth earlier this year.
Donald Trump claimed on CNBC that he would have won the Vietnam War very quickly if he had been president, a boast critics quickly challenged given that he dodged service with multiple deferments due to bone spurs; Sen. Mark Kelly called the claim an example of arrogance that contributes to prolonged wars, with other lawmakers and pundits weighing in as the Iran war dominates headlines. The piece notes the controversy comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Trump’s Iran policy and broader political backlash, including reminders of his draft history.
Sen. Mark Kelly posted a $13M Q1 fundraising haul, ending with $22.3M cash on hand, boosted by Trump's attacks labeling him as part of the 'Seditious Six,' triggering 2028 speculation and enabling support for allied Democrats; the piece also covers other large Senate fundraising totals and ongoing policy headlines like AI-enabled surveillance and House ethics scrutiny.