Sen. Mark Kelly criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, calling him “totally unqualified” after the Pentagon opened a review into a video where Kelly and five other lawmakers urged service members not to follow unlawful orders. Kelly made the remarks during an appearance on a late-night program, arguing that Hegseth is motivated more by political loyalty than military expertise.
Kelly said his participation in the video simply reiterated long-standing military law requiring service members to disobey illegal commands. Defense officials said they were examining “serious allegations of misconduct,” while Hegseth denounced the lawmakers as the “Seditious Six” and accused them of undermining the chain of command.
The Arizona senator pushed back, noting that the Uniform Code of Military Justice explicitly spells out what service members must do when confronted with unlawful directives. He argued that Hegseth’s criticism contradicts the very legal standard the video recited. The discussion comes after President Donald Trump claimed the lawmakers were guilty of “seditious behavior” and said it was punishable by death, intensifying scrutiny of the group.
Kelly said he would not retreat from stating that military personnel must follow the law regardless of political pressure. He described the situation as “ridiculous,” adding that he believed the administration’s reaction was intended to intimidate dissent rather than uphold military principles.
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