THIS IS A CHEAP SHOT ... MARK kELLY EARNED HIS RANK AND UNLESS HE'S CONVICTED OF SEDITION OR SOME OTHER CRIME AGAINST THE US, HIS RANK SHOULD NOT BE MESSED WITH

Pete Hegseth moves to strip astronaut senator of military rank and pension over 'seditious' video

 

By Jon Michael Raasch 

 

Daily Mail

Jan 5, 2026

 

 

 

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (left) said the Pentagon is taking steps to reduce the military retirement rank of Sen. Mark Kelly

 

Pete Hegseth has moved to strip a Democratic senator's military rank and pay after he released a video calling on troops to disobey orders. 

The Secretary of War said in a statement: '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.

'Therefore, in response to Senator Mark Kelly’s seditious statements - and his pattern of reckless misconduct - the Department of War is taking administrative action.'

The Pentagon boss sent a censure letter to Kelly to inform him of the pending review of his rank and pension - a 'necessary' step to punish the Democrat, the note states. 

Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain and former astronaut, called on active duty soldiers to refuse 'illegal orders' while invoking his own service in the armed forces. 

'Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders,' Kelly and a handful of other Democratic lawmakers said in a video released in November. 

All six of the Democrats in the video touted their own military or intelligence backgrounds, though they did not specify which illegal orders were given or if President Donald Trump or Hegseth were engaged in unlawful activity. 

Kelly has 30 days to respond to the censure letter, and a full review of his standing with the military will be completed in 45 days. 

 

Mark Kelly made a video with other Democratic lawmakers where he called on soldiers to ignore illegal orders from President Trump. Now the Pentagon is reviewing his rank and pay

Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth have called the Democrats who released the video 'seditious' and floated potential consequences. The President even suggested sedition could be punishable by hanging

 

'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,' Hegseth states. 

Since he is retired and still receiving payment from the military, the Arizona senator is subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the letter claims. 

It also cheekily refers to Kelly as 'Captain (for now).'

'If Pete Hegseth, the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in our country’s history, thinks he can intimidate me with a censure or threats to demote me or prosecute me, he still doesn’t get it,' Kelly said in a statement on Monday. 

' I will fight this with everything I’ve got — not for myself, but to send a message back that Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump don’t get to decide what Americans in this country get to say about their government.'

His actions, and those of the other Democrats in the video, enraged the President. 

Trump issued a statement on Truth Social at the time, calling their actions 'seditious' and 'treason,' while demanding they be executed via hanging. 

'SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!' before reposting another them that stated, 'HANG THEM, GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD!'

Hegseth noted in November that the other five Democrats will not be investigated because they do not fall under the Pentagon's jurisdiction.

The others include Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, an ex-CIA analyst who served multiple tours in Iraq; Representative Jason Crow of Colorado, a former Army Ranger; Representative Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, a former Navy reservist; and Representative Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, a former Air Force officer.

'Mark Kelly is a hero and a patriot committed to serving the American people,' Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in response to the announcement. 

'Pete Hegseth is a lap dog committed to serving one man – Donald Trump. This is a despicable act of political retribution. I stand with Sen. Kelly, who will always do the right thing no matter the consequences.' 

Kelly's Senate office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  

EDITOR'S NOTE: Our Draft Dodger in Chief suggests Kelly should be hanged. A lot of Nazi soldiers were hanged or imprisoned for following orders to kill Jews and Gypsies. 

 

Some Nazi soldiers were publicly hanged after being convicted of committing war crimes. During trial, they claimed they were only following orders.