Newsmax Host Blasts Army Guard for Reprimanding Pete Hegseth as Pentagon Backs Soldier's Actions

The Pentagon has defended an Army sentinel who called for silence near Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's delegation at Arlington National Cemetery, after Newsmax presenter Greg Kelly criticised the soldier's intervention on Wednesday, 11 November 2026.

The exchange followed a Veterans Day ceremony in Virginia. Footage showed Hegseth, his wife, Jennifer, and senior aides posing for photographs on steps near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. As the group began to leave, laughter could be heard and the sentinel issued a warning.

'All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times,' the soldier called out, according to video reported by Reuters. The recording does not establish who laughed or whether Hegseth himself made any noise. Neither Reuters nor CBS News identified the person responsible for the laughter.

Greg Kelly Questions Soldier's Warning

Kelly challenged the soldier's response in a post on his X account. He argued that the sentinel had gone too far by correcting a group that included the defence secretary, and suggested that laughter was not necessarily incompatible with mourning.

'Laughter, Tears, it's all part of 'life' and even DEATH,' the post said. Kelly described the soldier as having got 'a little Carried Away With Himself', referring to the warning given to Hegseth's party.

The Newsmax host also mentioned visitors wearing shorts and drinking Red Bull at the cemetery. Their clothing and refreshments, he argued, did not automatically make them disrespectful. He also praised Hegseth's knowledge of military personnel killed in conflict.

Kelly's comments expressed his view of the encounter. The video shows the sentinel calling for silence, but does not indicate that the soldier singled out Hegseth personally or that the warning was directed at him alone.

The Pentagon took a different view. Chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said the soldier had 'correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum' during the Veterans Day observance.

Parnell added that Hegseth and the department had always honoured the sacrifices made by US military personnel and would continue to do so.

Pentagon Supports Guard at Arlington

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is the resting place of three unidentified American service members. Army sentinels maintain a watch around the clock, making it one of Arlington National Cemetery's most closely observed sites.

The cemetery's published visitor guidance asks people to speak quietly and avoid disturbing others. Sentinels also routinely intervene when visitors break the expected silence, according to reporting on the incident.

The exchange came during a politically difficult week for Hegseth. On Tuesday, 10 November, the House of Representatives voted 211-204 to refer a resolution seeking his impeachment to the Judiciary Committee, preventing an immediate vote on the allegations.

The resolution was introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie. Its allegations concerned Hegseth's conduct of military operations and other decisions as defence secretary. The referral did not establish whether those accusations were true, nor did it amount to a vote to impeach him.

Hegseth rejected the impeachment effort and defended his record at a Pentagon news conference earlier on Tuesday. The cemetery incident was separate from that congressional dispute.

The video establishes that laughter was audible near Hegseth's party and that a sentinel called for silence. The Pentagon said the soldier acted appropriately, while Kelly criticised the intervention. The footage does not show who laughed or establish that Hegseth was personally reprimanded.