Pentagon to demote Sen. Kelly from retired Navy rank as captain, but stops short of threatened trial
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Monday that he will demote retired naval officer and sitting Senator Mark Kelly for “reckless misconduct” after he and other Democratic lawmakers urged troops to refuse any illegal orders.
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. As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he…
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) January 5, 2026
Although extraordinary, the censure stops well short of the Trump administration’s threat to recall Kelly, a retired Navy captain, to active duty status in order to prosecute him after what it described as seditious behavior by the former astronaut and decorated veteran.
