Hegseth formally denounces Sen. Mark Kelly
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formally censured Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly said on “The Daily Show” on Jan. 5 that he would “do everything in my power” to prevent the Pentagon from demoting him.
Kelly’s comments came hours after Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth withdrew his threat to court-martial for appearing in a video telling service members they could “refuse illegal orders.” He cited President Donald Trump and added that Hegseth’s threats were “a reflection of the person at the top.”
“This guy (Trump) is surrounded by a bunch of yes-men. They didn’t like that I said that,” the Arizona senator told “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart.
Stewart said the episode spoke to “something inherent in the character of this administration: fragility,” adding, “It reeks of weakness and fear.”
On Nov. 18, Kelly and five other Democrats released a video telling service members they have the right to disobey orders they believe are illegal. President Trump then criticized the lawmakers in a video, calling them “sedition, punishable by death!” In a November 20th post on Truth Social.
The president later insisted in a Nov. 21 interview on Fox News Radio that he had not made “death threats” to lawmakers.
The Pentagon later announced that it was investigating Kelly for “allegations of serious misconduct.” On January 5, Mr. Hegseth reprimanded Mr. Kelly and said he had begun administrative proceedings for his demotion.
Relegation process remains unclear
Kelly’s demotion requires an administrative process called police grading, which by law is determined based on an officer’s conduct while on active duty. It’s unclear how the Navy could legally consider Kelly’s post-retirement actions when making decisions.
In accordance with federal law and naval regulations, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan determines the retirement rank below vice admiral. In most cases, the Trustees will review an officer’s actions before making a recommendation to Mr. Phelan.
Retroactive reductions for retired officers are rare and usually limited to serious misconduct from their time in uniform. A retired two-star Army general was demoted to second lieutenant in 2021 after a Virginia court found him guilty of raping his daughter as a child.
In a Jan. 5 interview, Mr. Kelly reiterated a post on X that day in which he described Mr. Hegseth as “the most unqualified secretary of defense in our country’s history,” and said the fight was “not just about me.”
“He doesn’t know what he’s doing,” Kelly said of Hegseth. “But there is tremendous power in that position.”
“I’m going to do everything that’s appropriate in this situation and not only make sure the American people understand that this is unacceptable and that people can’t do this, but I’m going to make sure that the American people understand that you can’t suppress free speech,” Kelly said.
Contributor: Davis Winkie, USA TODAY
