Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt on Newsmax, Monday, sharply criticized Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., saying the lawmaker should face scrutiny over his past business dealings with Chinese investors.
Kelly attacked Hegseth after reports surfaced that the secretary allegedly ordered follow-up strikes intended to kill survivors aboard a drug-running vessel.
The Senate vows to investigate a reported drug boat operation involving Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
During an interview on "Wake Up America," Holt dismissed Kelly's claim that Hegseth is "the least qualified secretary of defense in the history of our country."
Holt said Kelly's complaints were "rich," considering the senator's involvement with a surveillance company that previously received investment from a Chinese-linked fund before Kelly placed his holdings in a blind trust.
"The protests are very rich coming from someone who established his own spy balloon company and took investment dollars from the Chinese Communist Party into a blind trust that he does not want to talk about," Holt said.
"He is the one that needs the investigation. And you know what? He is going to get one."
The Pentagon has not publicly confirmed details of the incident, though senior lawmakers have called for a full review.
Kelly said Hegseth "should have never been put in this job" and accused him of mishandling key decisions during the past six months.
Holt argued that Kelly's posture was politically motivated and suggested the senator is eyeing a future presidential bid.
"It will be very interesting to see clearly," Holt said. "I think he is positioning himself to run for president."
The White House has not commented on Holt's remarks. A spokesperson for Kelly did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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