U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, a retired Navy fighter pilot, has publicly condemned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for the highly unorthodox manner in which he learned he could face a military court-martial. The controversy stems from a video featuring Kelly and several other Democratic lawmakers that was released in mid-November.
A Notification via Social Media
During an appearance on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" on Monday, Senator Kelly expressed his disbelief at how he was informed of the serious potential legal proceedings. Kelly stated he was notified of the Pentagon's review and the possibility of a court-martial through a tweet from Hegseth. "The court-martial, [Secretary of Defense Pete] Hegseth notified me in a tweet. I mean, how ridiculous is this?" Kelly said. He criticized the process as abnormal and nonsensical, adding, "He tweeted something, that's how I got notified. That's all I've heard from the Navy, and that says everything about Pete Hegseth."
The tweet in question was posted on November 24 from the official account of the White House Department of War, which Hegseth oversees. The post announced the department was conducting a "thorough review" that could lead to court-martial proceedings against the lawmakers involved in the video. Kelly's comments came in response to host Jake Tapper's question about whether the military or the FBI had contacted him directly following the video's release.
Political Backlash and Legal Doubts
The video quickly drew fierce criticism from former President Donald Trump, who labeled it "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR" on social media and appeared to endorse a post calling for the execution of the featured lawmakers. Defense Secretary Hegseth separately blasted the video as "despicable, reckless, and false."
However, the threat of military punishment faces significant legal hurdles. A group of former military prosecutors has indicated the Pentagon likely lacks the authority to punish Senator Kelly, a sitting member of Congress. Furthermore, Kelly and the other Democrats, including Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, have not specified any actual illegal orders issued by Trump that were referenced in the video. Slotkin admitted on ABC's "This Week" on November 23 that she was "not aware" any such orders had been given.
Accusations of Intimidation and a Vow to Continue
In his interview, Kelly accused Secretary Hegseth of being more concerned with social media engagement than proper legal process. "He's focused on seeing how many views he can get on Twitter," Kelly asserted. "That's what he cares about — he doesn't care about the law or process."
The senator also framed the actions as part of a broader campaign of intimidation led by former President Trump. Kelly referenced Trump's statements that he and his colleagues should "be in jail" and the violent rhetoric endorsed online. "Was this the idea of the FBI? Or was this Donald Trump telling the director to tell the FBI to come after us? He's trying to intimidate us," Kelly said. He concluded with a defiant stance: "I'm not going to be intimidated by this president or this secretary of defense, and I'm not going to be silenced."
The FBI confirmed last week it is working to schedule interviews with the lawmakers featured in the video, indicating a separate investigative track is underway.
