U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday that the Department of Defense is pursuing administrative action against Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), which could reduce his military retirement rank and pension. The move stems from a video in which Kelly and five other Democratic senators urged service members to refuse unlawful orders.
In November, Senator Kelly—a retired Navy captain and former astronaut—appeared in the video, reminding troops of their duty to disobey illegal commands. Secretary Hegseth condemned the message as “seditious” and argued it undermines military discipline.
“As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice,” Hegseth stated on social media. “And the Department of War—and the American people—expect justice.”
Senator Kelly rejected the allegations, accusing the Pentagon of political intimidation. “Pete Hegseth wants to send the message to every single retired servicemember that if they say something he or Donald Trump doesn’t like, they will come after them the same way,” Kelly responded online. “It’s outrageous and it is wrong.”
Kelly vowed to challenge the action, stating he would fight “to send a message back that Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump don’t get to decide what Americans in this country get to say about their government.”
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