Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s move to punish a Democratic critic seems to have backfired in a major way.
When the Pentagon chief moved to strip Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) of his military rank and pension, he likely intended to silence a critic. Instead, he may have handed Democrats one of their most potent political assets heading into the 2028 presidential cycle — and strengthened the party’s hand in midterm battlegrounds along the way, reported NOTUS.
“Every time the Trump administration hits him, he can say, ‘See, I’m their enemy, come with me in this fight,’” said one Democratic strategist. “That is the most powerful thing for eyeballs, and eyeballs equals donors among the base.”
Kelly, the Arizona Democrat and decorated astronaut, has raised nearly $25 million since Hegseth’s campaign against him began in late 2025 — a staggering sum for a senator not facing re-election – and more than two-thirds of his fourth-quarter haul came from small-dollar donors giving under $200, a signal that his anti-Trump profile is generating genuine grassroots energy.
He has already deployed some of that money to back Democratic Senate candidates James Talarico and Mary Peltola.
The feud began after Kelly appeared in a video encouraging service members to refuse unlawful orders, prompting Trump to accuse him and five other Democratic lawmakers of “sedition” — “punishable by DEATH,” the president wrote.
A Washington grand jury declined to indict any of them in February. A federal judge subsequently blocked the Pentagon from punishing Kelly, ruling the administration had likely violated his First Amendment rights and warning that its legal theory could threaten the free speech of millions of retired service members.
Hegseth has pressed on regardless, most recently calling for a review of whether Kelly disclosed classified information on a television news program — a charge Kelly deflected by noting Hegseth himself had made similar statements publicly.
For Democrats starved of fighters, the dynamic has been a gift. Kelly’s fundraising texts, cable news appearances, and a slot on Time’s 100 Most Influential People list have transformed one of the Senate’s most centrist members into a symbol of resistance. A slot on Jimmy Kimmel followed, where he told the audience he was “not backing down.”
Kelly trails better-known potential 2028 contenders including Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom and Pete Buttigieg in early polling, rarely cracking the high single digits. Building a national profile this early also creates more opportunities for opponents to define him negatively.
But for a party still searching for its post-Biden identity, the unintended consequences of Hegseth’s feud have been hard to miss.
“Not a bad little boost,” said Democratic strategist Jim Kessler of Third Way, “thanks to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.”
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