Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has sparked outrage after the Pentagon announced it's investigating Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly—a former U.S. Navy captain and astronaut—for "serious allegations of misconduct" after he joined five other members of Congress in a video reminding military members that they took an oath to obey the Constitution and can disobey illegal orders.
In a video message, Kelly, joined by a group of fellow veterans in Congress that included his colleagues Sen. Elissa Slotkin (Michigan) and Rep. Jason Crow (Pennsylvania), noted that the Trump administration is "pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens."
They stressed that "no one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution" and "whether you're serving in the CIA, the Army, our Navy, the Air Force, your vigilance is critical."
The video sparked an angry reaction from President Donald Trump, who accused the group of engaging in sedition, an act "punishable by death."
And Hegseth wants to ensure the group faces consequences, writing in a post on X above an official announcement of the ensuing investigation into Kelly to claim that the video released by the 'Seditious Six" was "despicable, reckless, and false:"
"Encouraging our warriors to ignore the orders of their Commanders undermines every aspect of 'good order and discipline.' Their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion — which only puts our warriors in danger."
"Five of the six individuals in that video do not fall under @DeptofWar jurisdiction (one is CIA and four are former military but not “retired”, so they are no longer subject to UCMJ)."
"However, Mark Kelly (retired Navy Commander) is still subject to UCMJ—and he knows that. As was announced, 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."
You can see his post below.
Hegseth's announcement has been met with anger.
Kelly, despite not being up for reelection until 2028, has seen a fundraising boost since Hegseth's court-martial threat.
He was the top fundraiser on ActBlue; while fundraising amounts are not listed, a source familiar with the platform's metrics confirmed he's seen a spike in donor activity and is ranked ahead of California Representative Eric Swalwell and Tennessee state Representative Aftyn Behn—both of whom are competing in active races.
Kelly has dismissed Hegseth's threat, writing on X:
"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."
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Kelly stressed that he simply "said something that was pretty simple and non-controversial—and that was that members of the military should follow the law."
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