In an absolutely huge announcement posted to X, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that his Pentagon would be cracking down on Sen. Mark Kelly for a seditious video he and other former military and intelligence service personnel posted in which they called on American service members to disobey the president’s orders.
For reference, the case stems from a November 2025 video where Kelly and other Democratic lawmakers urged service members to “refuse illegal orders,” which the Trump administration labeled seditious. Kelly denounced it as an abuse of power, vowing to continue representing Arizona. The move has sparked criticism as politically motivated retaliation
Speaking about this disruptive video shortly after it was released, the War Department explained that the investigation was motivated by “serious allegations of misconduct. Building on this point, another source at the Pentagon said, “Retired Captain Kelly is currently under investigation for serious allegations of misconduct,” adding, “Further official comments will be limited to preserve the integrity of the proceedings.”
Now, we know what that means, as Pete Hegseth explained it. Beginning, he said, “Six weeks ago, Senator Mark Kelly — and five other members of Congress — released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline. As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice. And the Department of War — and the American people — expect justice.”
Continuing, he explained what administrative actions are being taken in response to the video, saying, “Therefore, in response to Senator Mark Kelly’s seditious statements — and his pattern of reckless misconduct — the Department of War is taking administrative action against Captain Mark E. Kelly, USN (Ret).”
Further, he noted that the move could cost Sen. Kelly bigly, as he will lose his retirement pay if the proceeding moves forward as expected. He said, “The department has initiated retirement grade determination proceedings under 10 U.S.C. § 1370(f), with reduction in his retired grade resulting in a corresponding reduction in retired pay.”
Additionally, Hegseth noted that Kelly has been censured for the video, saying, “To ensure this action, the Secretary of War has also issued a formal Letter of Censure, which outlines the totality of Captain (for now) Kelly’s reckless misconduct. This Censure is a necessary process step, and will be placed in Captain Kelly’s official and permanent military personnel file.”
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And, noting that Sen. Kelly won’t be able to get away with sedition just because he is a senator and that the censure is important because it opens the avenue for future reprisals if he breaks the law and UCMJ again, Hegseth said, “Captain Kelly’s status as a sitting United States Senator does not exempt him from accountability, and further violations could result in further action. These actions are based on Captain Kelly’s public statements from June through December 2025 in which he characterized lawful military operations as illegal and counseled members of the Armed Forces to refuse lawful orders. This conduct was seditious in nature and violated Articles 133 and 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, to which Captain Kelly remains subject as a retired officer receiving pay.”
Watch the video at issue here: