Hegseth censures Kelly after senator urged troops to defy illegal orders
AP News••general
Key Points:
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formally censured Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly for participating in a video urging troops to resist unlawful orders, a rare move that could lead to Kelly's demotion from his retired Navy captain rank and reduced retirement pay.
- The video, released in November by six Democratic veterans and intelligence community members, called on service members to uphold the Constitution and defy illegal orders, prompting President Trump to accuse them of sedition.
- Hegseth cited violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, but legal experts question the applicability of military discipline to a sitting senator and whether Kelly’s speech is protected under the constitutional speech or debate clause.
- Kelly condemned the censure as an attack intended to silence dissent against
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