In a huge announcement that came on Monday, the Department of War announced that it is now opening a formal review into Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a retired Navy captain and astronaut, over allegations of misconduct stemming from a video he and other Democrats who are veterans and retired intelligence agency personnel released in which they called on members of the armed forces to disobey President Trump’s orders.
For reference, the video, titled “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” was posted on Tuesday, November 18. It included statements from Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO). All six leftist lawmakers in the video spoke of their own service in the military and intelligence establishment while calling on troops to “refuse unlawful orders.”
Now, the Pentagon and Trump Administration have said that Sen. Kelly may be called back to active duty to face court-martial proceedings or some other disciplinary action under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which applies given his status as a veteran of the US armed forces.
Commenting on the matter, the Department of War simply said, Fox News Digital reports, “This matter will be handled in compliance with military law, ensuring due process and impartiality.” It refused to add any other details about what other proceedings could apply, indicating that doing so could compromise the integrity of them.
However, it did note that the Uniform Code of Military Justice remains applicable, stating, “The Department of War reminds all individuals that military retirees remain subject to the UCMJ for applicable offenses. A servicemember’s personal philosophy does not justify or excuse the disobedience of an otherwise lawful order.”
Similarly, Pete Hegseth said, Fox News Digital reports, “The Department is reviewing his statements and actions, which were addressed directly to all troops while explicitly using his rank and service affiliation—lending the appearance of authority to his words. Kelly’s conduct brings discredit upon the armed forces and will be addressed appropriately.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt went on the attack as well. She said, “What Senator Mark Kelly was actually trying to do was intimidate the 1.3 million active duty service members who are currently serving in our United States Armed Forces with that video that he and his Democratic colleagues put out.”
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Continuing, she noted that he had to have known what he was doing, saying, “Senator Mark Kelly well well knows the rules of the military and the respect that one must have for the chain of command, and that all lawful, all orders, lawful orders, are presumed to be legal by our service members.”
She then added, “You can’t have a functioning military if there is disorder and chaos within the ranks. And that’s what these Democrat members were encouraging. It’s very clear, and not a single one of them, since they’ve been pressed by the media, and I’ll give you guys credit for that, can point to a single illegal order that this administration has given down because it does not exist. They knew what they were doing in this video, and Senator Mark Kelly and all of them should be held accountable for that.”
Watch her here:
Sen. Kelly, angrily responding to the administration’s threats in a post on X, said, “Secretary Hegseth’s tweet is the first I heard of this. I also saw the President’s posts saying I should be arrested, hanged, and put to death. If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work. I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video