Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced administrative action against Sen. Mark Kelly after citing his role in a video urging servicemembers to disobey presidential orders.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Monday that the Department of War has initiated administrative action against Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., over what he described as “reckless and seditious” conduct tied to a video urging members of the U.S. military to disobey orders from President Donald Trump.
Kelly, a retired Navy captain, appeared in a video in November alongside several Democratic lawmakers that encouraged American servicemembers to resist what the participants characterized as “illegal orders” from the president. The video drew swift backlash from conservatives, who argued it amounted to an attempt to undermine loyalty within the armed forces.
In a public statement, Hegseth said the department is formally reviewing Kelly’s retired rank and benefits. “[T]he Department of War is taking administrative action against Captain Mark E. Kelly, USN (Ret),” Hegseth said in an announcement posted publicly. “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.”
Hegseth said the action includes the issuance of a formal Letter of Censure that will become part of Kelly’s permanent military record. “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,” he said. “This Censure is a necessary process step, and will be placed in Captain Kelly’s official and permanent military personnel file.”
According to Hegseth, the department concluded that Kelly’s participation in the video violated core standards governing military conduct, including provisions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, despite his retired status.
The announcement marks a rare instance of the Department of War moving to formally review and potentially downgrade the retired rank and pay of a sitting U.S. senator, underscoring the administration’s position that public calls for disobedience within the armed forces cross a red line regardless of political office.
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