Hegseth Strips Mark Kelly of Rank Over Illegal Orders Video
By: colbyhall (Mediaite)
... oh yeah, this could be a real handy tool to use against maga vets in 2029 ...
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced unprecedented administrative action against Sen. Mark Kelly, accusing the Arizona Democrat of "seditious" conduct and initiating a process that could strip the retired Navy captain of rank and reduce his military pension.
In a statement posted to X on Monday morning, Hegseth said the Department of Defense had begun retirement grade determination proceedings under 10 U.S.C. § 1370(f) against Kelly, citing public comments in which the senator urged service members to refuse illegal orders.
Hegseth also said he issued a formal Letter of Censure that will be placed in Kelly's permanent military personnel file.
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…
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) January 5, 2026
The dispute centers on a broader and increasingly heated debate between the Pentagon and Democratic lawmakers over the legality of recent U.S. military operations and the role of members of Congress in questioning them. Kelly and other lawmakers have argued that service members must refuse unlawful orders, while Hegseth and his allies contend such messaging undermines military discipline by casting doubt on the legality of duly authorized operations.
Kelly, a former Navy fighter pilot who retired at the rank of captain, is currently serving his second term in the U.S. Senate.
Hegseth characterized a video released earlier this year by Kelly and five other members of Congress as "reckless and seditious," accusing the senator of undermining good order and military discipline. The video reminded service members that they have a legal obligation to refuse illegal orders, a principle embedded in U.S. military law and the laws of armed conflict.
The confrontation follows mounting scrutiny over the legal justification for U.S. military actions in Latin America, including discussions within the administration about removing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
On Sunday's This Week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio struggled to identify clear legal authority for such action, drawing criticism from lawmakers who argue that ambiguous or unsupported justifications heighten the risk of unlawful orders being issued or followed.
Hegseth asserted that Kelly remains subject to military justice as a retired officer receiving retired pay and accused him of violating Articles 133 and 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, provisions covering conduct unbecoming an officer and general misconduct.
The move is highly unusual. While retired officers technically remain subject to the UCMJ in limited circumstances, the authority is rarely invoked and has not been used to punish post-retirement political speech, particularly by a sitting member of Congress.
Retirement grade determinations are typically limited to misconduct committed while an officer is on active duty.
Hegseth warned that Kelly's status as a U.S. senator does not exempt him from accountability and suggested further action could follow.
Kelly has not yet publicly responded. The announcement is likely to prompt legal challenges and congressional scrutiny, placing the Pentagon at the center of a constitutional dispute over military authority, civilian oversight, and protected political speech.
Trolling, taunting, spamming, and off topic comments may be removed at the discretion of group mods. NT members that are known plagiarists, repeat comments, or continue to disrupt/deflect the conversation risk having all of their comments deleted. Please remember to quote the person(s) to whom you are replying to preserve continuity of this seed. Any use of the phrase "Trump Derangement Syndrome" or the TDS acronym in a comment will be deleted. Any use of the term "Brandon", "Traitor Joe", or any variations thereof, when referring to President Biden, will be deleted. Right wing trolls can expect to have their irrelevant questions and comments deleted. Posting debunked lies will be subject to deletion. Use of the terms "leftist" or "lefty" will also be subject to deletion. ©
Article is LOCKED by author/seeder
Tags
Who is online
130 visitors
defend this maga vets ...
[✘]
i.e., "I can't". We get it.
[✘]
gee, I hope this doesn't contribute to another rash of Trump Dick Suckers announcing their retirements from congress ...
[✘]
[✘]
[✘]
[✘]
oh gee, look at all the maga-vet pro helmet polishers that have reneged on their service oaths this seed has attracted ...
I look forward to the coming day when Hegseth is punished by a future Sec of Defense for his crimes against the nation.
I'm against granting due process to those that have denied it to others ...
I'm not. We are better than them.
oh all right, we can hold their 3 minute military tribunals in a C-130 over the mid-atlantic ...
We are better but I think the evil thoughts and dev writes them down
[✘]
Of course, no matter what Trump does, no matter how vindictive and wrong, Trump supporters cheer him on.
Note the explicit use of the qualifier ' lawful '. This qualifier was intentional (obviously) to distinguish between legal and illegal orders.
For a more general coverage:
Just what you would expect from a cheap whore like Hegspeth.
And his 'pimp' Trump.
[✘]
The definition of "petty".