President Donald Trump’s administration may have handed Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) the biggest in-kind contribution of his career.
The Pentagon announced Monday it is investigating Kelly stemming from his participation in a video with five fellow Democratic lawmakers that called on service members to refuse to follow “unlawful orders.”
As a retired Navy captain, Kelly could be recalled to active duty for court-martial proceedings under federal law. In a statement, he said, “If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work.”
Kelly was a finalist for vice president under Kamala Harris’ presidential bid — and is thought to have potential 2028 aspirations of his own.
A fundraising juggernaut, Kelly raised $86.2 million for his 2022 reelection bid. But a high-profile clash with the administration is sure to further juice contributions from a Democratic base hungry for politicians more aggressively standing up to Trump.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X that Kelly’s “conduct brings discredit upon the armed forces and will be addressed appropriately.” The post will almost certainly raise questions of so-called unlawful command influence over the military judicial process.
Hegseth also downgraded Kelly to the rank of “commander” in his statement. Kelly retired from the Navy as a captain in 2011, according to a copy of his service record provided by the military branch.
The other veterans in the video, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) all leapt to Kelly’s defense in the aftermath of the Pentagon’s announcement.
Liz Lyons, director of public affairs at the CIA, went after another lawmaker in the video, former intelligence analyst turned Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), in an unusual statement saying “former officers should remember the oath and commitment they make while serving at CIA, and conduct themselves accordingly — even long after they leave” and that Slotkin was among “the ranks of disgraced former intelligence officers.”
Slotkin has defended her comments saying, “I won’t back down, and I won’t let the President put words in my mouth.” She received a bomb threat and now receives 24/7 Capitol Police protection after Trump’s threats last week.
