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Sen. Mark Kelly on Monday delivered a forceful and unusually direct rebuke of President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, vowing he would not be cowed by the White House even as the Pentagon conducts a “thorough review” of the Arizona Democrat over what it called “serious allegations of misconduct.”
“I will not be intimidated by this president,” Kelly said during a news conference at the Capitol. “I am not going to be silenced by this president or the people around him because I’ve given too much in service to this country to back down to this guy.”
The sharp remarks came as the administration continues to face bipartisan scrutiny over a September 2 U.S. military strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea suspected of ferrying narcotics. According to reporting by The Washington Post, Hegseth allegedly issued a verbal order directing follow-on strikes that killed survivors from the initial hit — an action lawmakers say could constitute a war crime if verified.
Kelly, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a former Navy combat pilot, said the allegations demand public testimony from Hegseth. “He’s unqualified for this position,” Kelly said, adding that “if there is anyone who needs to answer questions in public and under oath, it is Pete Hegseth.”
While the White House confirmed Monday that survivors from the initial strike were killed in subsequent attacks, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted the order was given by Adm. Mitch Bradley, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, not by Hegseth. “Adm. Bradley worked well within his authority and the law,” Leavitt said, arguing the second strike ensured the threat “was completely eliminated.”
Kelly said he hopes investigators — and the public — will be allowed to see the legal basis for the operation that lawmakers were shown behind closed doors. “I hope what we are hearing is not accurate,” he said. “Folks in the military need to understand the Law of the Sea, the Geneva Conventions, what the law says.”
Kelly also addressed a video he and several Democrats released last month saying service members may refuse illegal orders. Trump has since labeled those lawmakers “traitors” who should face the death penalty. Kelly said the president’s rhetoric is intended to intimidate potential dissenters. “They’re trying to send a message… ‘You better keep your mouth shut, or else,’” he said.
The senator said he will comply with any lawful request from investigators. He closed by warning that Trump’s language risks escalating political violence, referencing the shooting that injured his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords. “The president’s words carry tremendous weight,” Kelly said. “He knows that, and that’s exactly why he does what he does.”
