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Sen. Mark Kelly censured by Pete Hegseth over controversial address to US troops; Here's what it means
Pete Hegseth sends a censure letter to Senator Mark Kelly for making “seditious statements” urging troops to refuse unlawful orders.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initiated extraordinary administrative action against Senator Mark Kelly on Monday.
Hegseth has moved to censure the Arizona Democrat and review his retired military rank and pension pay following a controversial video in which Kelly and other lawmakers addressed U.S. service members about refusing “unlawful” orders.
Hegseth said, “Six weeks ago, Senator Mark Kelly - and five other members of Congress - released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline.”
This move may lead to the retired Navy captain and former astronaut being demoted.
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What was the video?
Hegseth's reaction is the result of the video released in November 2025, when Kelly directly spoke to service members alongside the other five, Senator Elissa Slotkin and Representatives Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan.
In the 90-second video, they ask the troops to respect the Constitution and disobey what they saw as unlawful orders. "Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders," the six said in the video. They question the deployment of the National Guard nationwide.
They also acknowledged in the video that the Trump administration's actions put military troops "under enormous stress and pressure right now."
Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition, "punishable by DEATH" in a social media tweet a few days after the video was made public.
Hegseth made a statement accusing Kelly of making “seditious statements" that undermined military discipline. He made an X post saying that Kelly “is still accountable to military justice”, given that he still receives military pay.
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What is Mark Kelly saying
Kelly received a censure letter from the Pentagon chief informing him that his status and pension would soon be reviewed. The message claims that this was a "necessary" step in punishing the Democrat.
Kelly defended, “I will fight this with everything I’ve got — not for myself, but to send a message back that Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump don’t get to decide what Americans in this country get to say about their government.”
He also added, “If Pete Hegseth, the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in our country’s history, thinks he can intimidate me with a censure or threats to demote me or prosecute me, he still doesn’t get it.”
