Some members of Congress simply cannot help themselves when it comes to revealing classified information, especially when they are taking shots at Donald Trump’s administration. So it was with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) being interviewed on CBS’s Face the Nation. He is now being accused of discussing details of what were most likely classified briefings on the level of US munitions stockpiles.
Did Kelly Discuss Classified Data in a TV Interview?
It was surprising that Kelly, during an interview, would tell CBS moderator Margaret Brennan, “A number of times, we've been briefed by the Pentagon on specific munitions. Actually, it's been pretty detailed on Tomahawks, ATACMS, SM- 3s, THAAD rounds, Patriot rounds, so those interceptor rounds to defend ourselves.” Detailed briefings to Congress on force structure and munitions inventories are, with few exceptions, highly classified. This is particularly true when the briefings describe weapon systems and US capability to deter adversaries.
He went on to say it is “shocking the – how deep we have gone into these magazines.” And he told Brennan, “Whether it’s a conflict in the western Pacific with China or somewhere else in the world, the munitions are depleted.”
Brennan asked whether the “US would be able to defend, for example, Taiwan, if China tries to move against it? Are you saying we are not in a position to do that right now?”
Kelly responded that if the conflict were to take “days or just weeks,” the United States is “well-positioned to do that.” However, an operational conflict that goes on “for months or years, when it takes years to replenish some of these munitions, of course, we’re going to be in worse posture than we otherwise would be in if this war in Iran didn’t happen.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reacted on point to Kelly’s comments by posting on X: “’Captain’ Mark Kelly strikes again. Now he’s blabbing on TV (falsely & dumbly) about a *CLASSIFIED* Pentagon briefing he received. Did he violate his oath … again? @DeptofWar legal counsel will review.” In the social media battle, Kelly responded to Hegseth on X: “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.”
Here is the exact exchange between Kelly and Hegseth, taken from the April 30 hearing on the 2027 Department of War budget:
Senator Kelly: Can you tell how many years, specifically, it is going to take to replace these systems?
Secretary Hegseth: Senator, thank you for the question. I would defer to the comptroller on the amount, because I think it’s a lot higher than $53 [billion]. If you look at long-range fires, JASSMs, LRASMs, Tomahawks, we are looking at $238 billion.
Kelly: Okay. A lot.
Hegseth: We are looking at $40 billion for hypersonic. So, I actually think it is closer to $330 billion in munitions. Ultimately, --
Kelly: Okay. How many years to replenish? That is the question.
Hegseth: I think that is exactly the right question, too, Senator, because the time frame we were existing under was unacceptable.
Kelly: Okay. Well, tell me --
Hegseth: And what this budget does – I mean, months and years, fast.
Kelly: Years.
Hegseth: I mean, we are building new plants in real time that will --
Kelly: So just to replace what we have expended --
Hegseth: 2X -- I said months.
Kelly: And then you said years.
Hegseth: Well, it depends on the weapons system, but 2 to 3, 4X of what we have today.
Kelly: Okay.
Hegseth: So yes, we are dealing with a reality under the previous administration of what they sent to Ukraine and what they allocated elsewhere –
Parsing Hegseth’s Testimony
Hegseth’s testimony did not tie any munitions deficit to what may or may not be possible in defending Taiwan or countering China in a conflict lasting more than a month. Yet Kelly did that when talking to CBS. He linked US capability to operational timelines. That kind of an assertion is generally not provided in unclassified briefings. It speaks to US capability vulnerabilities, which the Pentagon considers sensitive. Kelly talking openly about what he heard in classified Department of War briefings gives China an understanding that if it only prolongs a conflict with the United States, American combat forces will run out of key precision munitions.
This is not the first time Kelly has found himself at odds with the War Department. The Daily Signal observed, “The department has previously investigated Kelly for a video in which he told service members that they do not need to obey illegal orders.” Kelly’s inability to stay out of hot water with the War Department has made him somewhat of a pariah in Pentagon circles. This incident should be a cautionary tale for others in Congress. Just because you know something doesn’t mean you have to say something. Information is classified for a reason.
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