Pete Hegseth’s War on Mark Kelly Was a Political Gift

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tried to brand Sen. Mark Kelly as “seditious” and moved to strip him of his military rank. It hasn’t worked out that way.

Instead, Democratic strategists say the feud has driven attention and millions in campaign cash toward the Arizona Democrat as he “seriously” considers a 2028 presidential run in what will likely be a crowded field. More importantly, it blessed one of the Senate’s most centrist members with an identity as a fighter in a party hungry for confrontation with President Donald Trump.

Each courtroom appearance or attack tweet from Hegseth offers Kelly a fresh chance to get on cable news or send a fundraising text. Trump’s ire earned Kelly a slot on Time’s 100 Most Influential People (Hegseth isn’t on it) and an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” — where he vowed he’s “not backing down.” It also filled a war chest he’s used to back Senate candidates James Talarico and Mary Peltola.

“Mark Kelly is a brilliant, charismatic dude, but his superpower is not lighting the room on fire with a fieriest stump speech with the most maximalist rhetoric,” said one Democratic strategist granted anonymity to speak candidly. “But every time the Trump administration hits him, he can say, ‘See, I’m their enemy, come with me in this fight.’ That is the most powerful thing for eyeballs, and eyeballs equals donors among the base.”

In November, Kelly was among six Democratic lawmakers who appeared in a video posted on social media encouraging service members to refuse unlawful orders. The video led to Trump accusing the lawmakers of “sedition,” which he also said was “punishable by DEATH.”

The administration sought criminal penalties, but a Washington grand jury declined to indict the lawmakers over the video in February.

Hegseth’s attempt to strip Kelly of his rank and pension also hit setbacks in civil court. Kelly sued over the Pentagon’s attempt to censure him, and U.S. District Judge Richard Leon temporarily barred the Pentagon from punishing Kelly while the case is underway.

In a sharply worded ruling, Leon said the Pentagon likely violated Kelly’s First Amendment rights and warned that the administration’s legal theory could threaten the free speech rights of millions of retired service members. Last month, judges on the D.C. Circuit also appeared skeptical of the Pentagon’s rationale for punishing Kelly, signalling they were unlikely to reverse Leon’s order.

Kelly said he wasn’t particularly stressed about the effort to punish him.

“I don’t get angry about it; I don’t lose any sleep,” Kelly said in an interview. “They’re going to do shit like this. They’re flailing. They know the law’s on my side, and they want to shut people up. This is a corrupt administration, and it’s clear to everybody.

“If they’re going to go after the rights of 2 million retired service members, it might as well be me,” he added.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump sought to penalize Kelly for appearing in a video urging troops not to follow illegal orders. Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Hegseth isn’t letting go. In May, he called on the Pentagon to review whether Kelly, disclosed classified information on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” when he voiced concerns about U.S. munitions levels following the war with Iran. Kelly countered that Hegseth himself “said it would take ‘years’ to replenish some of these stockpiles” during a public hearing.

The Pentagon declined to comment for this story.

“It’s definitely helped Mark, but Hegseth doesn’t care about that; he’s just trying to be the best autocrat he can be,” said Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, a Kelly ally and the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. “By traditional calculations, this has backfired, but these guys aren’t into that. They’re just into crushing anyone who dares speak out.”

Democratic strategists say Hegseth, a former National Guard officer and Fox News personality, is a perfect villain for Kelly. Hegseth is the face of the unpopular Iran war and is regularly satirized on “Saturday Night Live” as an abrasive, hard-drinking frat bro.

Kelly is a decorated veteran and astronaut who entered politics years after his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, resigned due to a severe brain injury suffered during an assassination attempt. Vice President Kamala Harris vetted Kelly as her running mate, but considered him untested politically and feared his military service could be used against him.

Kelly’s national security-focused centrism is an asset in Arizona, where he has to appeal to independents and moderate Republicans, as well as the party base. But that doesn’t necessarily fit the mold of a progressive hero. Kelly publicly bashed President Joe Biden’s handling of the border, opposed some Biden’s nominees and voted to confirm Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency chief, Lee Zeldin.

Still, some Democrats argue that ideological positioning may matter less than a candidate’s willingness to fight. Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at the center-left group Third Way, said voters want “a fighter, not a shouter.” Kessler pointed to Kelly, Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan) and Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro or Rahm Emanuel, who served as President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, as centrist examples.

“Mark Kelly has the demeanor of a resolute and calm soldier, patriot, astronaut — not the ring-the-alarm-bell guy that normally gets attention,” Kessler said. “Trump thrust him into a role that he’s well-suited for, which is the fighter whose heart rate doesn’t go up.”

Democratic primary voters ultimately prioritize electability, and some believe Kelly’s combination of swing-state success, military credentials and newfound anti-Trump profile could make him a compelling contender.

“We’ve sat through countless hours of focus groups to see what people really mean by they want a fighter, and I think what people are trying to say is they really want a winner,” said Stacy Pearson, a Phoenix-based political consultant.

Kelly’s wife, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, survived an assassination attempt. Mike Brantley/AL.com via AP

Kelly has turned the fight into a fundraising pitch in multiple emails, email messages and on ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform, with subject lines such as “ALL HANDS ON DECK: Donate!” In a January mass fundraising text message, Kelly accused Hegseth of trying to silence him and other veterans. “If he thinks he’s going to shut me up, he’s got another thing coming,” Kelly wrote. “And if you’re still with me, I could use your support.”

Kelly’s fundraising numbers have surged dramatically since becoming a target of Trump and Hegseth. The senator raised about $2.6 million in the third quarter of 2025, before the dispute began, then nearly $12.5 million in the final quarter of the year and $12.9 million more in the first three months of 2026. More than two-thirds of the fourth-quarter money came from donors giving less than $200.

For a senator not facing reelection this year, Kelly has a huge war chest. His campaign reported $22 million in cash on hand at the end of March, while his leadership PAC has continued raising money and directing funds to Democratic candidates and committees across the country.

Strategists say Kelly’s small-dollar fundraising not only shows how well his message is resonating but also offers an early advantage if he decides to run for president in 2028. He can afford to build campaign organizations in early primary states, travel to them and hire staff — all of which might help him punch through to gain name recognition.

Political operatives say it is way too soon to say how far Kelly’s success over recent months will take him, if he even decides to run for president. And there are risks: Forging a national profile this early offers Kelly’s opponents more chances to attack and negatively define him.

Plus, Kelly trails better-known Democrats such as Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg with early poll numbers that have only occasionally reached the high single digits.

But at least for now, the controversy seems to be paying off for him.

“In a race that’s certain to have a double-digit number of candidates,” Kessler said, “getting attention, getting some donors, getting on cable, being someone who’s talked about, while also having the perfect resume and coming from a swing state — not a bad little boost thanks to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.”