Fight Between Pete Hegseth and Mark Kelly

May 11, 2026, 14:57
USPolitics

Introduction

Pete Hegseth is the Secretary of Defense. He is checking if Senator Mark Kelly broke the law.

Main Body

Senator Kelly spoke on TV. He said the US does not have enough missiles. He said this is a big problem. Pete Hegseth says Kelly shared secret information. He thinks Kelly broke his promise to the government. Senator Kelly says the information was not secret. He says Hegseth told everyone the information in a public meeting. These two men have a long fight. In November, Kelly told soldiers to say no to bad orders. President Trump was very angry about this. The government tried to punish Senator Kelly. They wanted to take away his rank as a captain. A judge stopped the government. The judge said Kelly has the right to speak freely. The government is still fighting this in court.

Conclusion

The Department of Defense and Senator Kelly are still angry with each other.

Learning

⚡ The Power of "S"

In this story, we see a very important pattern for A2 learners: how to talk about one person doing something.

Look at these examples from the text:

  • Pete Hegseth says...
  • Kelly shared...
  • The judge stopped...

The Simple Rule: When we talk about one person (He, She, or a Name) in the present, we usually add an -s to the action word.

  • I say →\rightarrow He says
  • I think →\rightarrow He thinks

🧩 Action Words: Now vs. Then

Notice how the story switches between things happening now and things that already happened.

Past (Finished) →\rightarrow add -ed

  • speak →\rightarrow speaked (Wait! This one is a 'trick' word: it becomes spoke)
  • share →\rightarrow shared
  • want →\rightarrow wanted

Present (Current) →\rightarrow base word (+s)

  • have →\rightarrow has
  • break →\rightarrow breaks

🚩 Key Words to Steal

If you want to sound more like an A2 speaker, use these phrases from the article:

  • Broke the law (Did something illegal)
  • Right to speak (Allowed to talk)
  • Angry about this (Upset because of a reason)

Vocabulary Learning

secret
not known or kept hidden
Example:The secret recipe was shared only with close friends.
secret (adj.)
Not known or meant to be known by others
Example:The secret plan was kept hidden.
information
facts or knowledge about something
Example:She gave me information about the new policy.
information (n.)
Facts or details about something
Example:She gave me useful information.
promise
a statement that one will do something
Example:He made a promise to help.
government (n.)
The group that runs a country
Example:The government announced new rules.
public
open to everyone
Example:The public meeting was held in the town hall.
judge (n.)
A person who decides a court case
Example:The judge listened to both sides.
meeting
an event where people gather to talk
Example:They had a meeting to discuss the plan.
court (n.)
A place where legal cases are heard
Example:He went to court to defend himself.
soldiers
people who fight for a country
Example:Soldiers marched in the parade.
senator (n.)
A member of the upper house of parliament
Example:The senator spoke on TV.
orders
instructions to do something
Example:She gave orders to the team.
captain (n.)
A leader of a ship or a military officer
Example:The captain ordered the crew.
judge
a person who decides a case in court
Example:The judge heard the arguments.
rank (n.)
A level of position or status
Example:He held the rank of captain.
right
something that is fair or correct
Example:Everyone has the right to speak.
fight (n.)
A conflict or argument
Example:They had a long fight.
freely
without restrictions or limits
Example:He spoke freely about his ideas.
problem (n.)
A difficult situation
Example:This is a big problem.
court
a place where legal cases are decided
Example:The case will go to court.
department
a part of a government or company
Example:The department of health is responsible for public health.
defense
protection from danger
Example:The defense of the country is important.
angry
feeling or showing anger
Example:She was angry when she heard the news.
punish
to give a penalty for wrongdoing
Example:The school will punish students who break rules.
rank
a level or position in a hierarchy
Example:He held the rank of captain.
captain
a leader of a ship or team
Example:The captain guided the crew.