Retired Navy Captain Mark Kelly Faces Military Disciplinary Action After Video Urging Troops to Refuse “Illegal Orders”

A report from the U.S. Navy has been sent to the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel detailing potential disciplinary measures for Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), following his appearance in a video urging military personnel and intelligence officers to refuse what he described as “illegal orders.” The 90-second video, shared by Kelly alongside five other Democratic lawmakers, has escalated tensions between President Donald Trump’s Pentagon and the group his allies have labeled the “Seditious Six.”

The lawmakers include Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Representative Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.). In their video, they did not specify which Trump administration directives they considered unlawful—a gap critics argue risks confusion within military ranks.

President Trump has accused the six members of engaging in “seditious behavior,” stating such actions are punishable by death and demanding their immediate arrest. War Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the Navy to investigate Kelly’s conduct after the video went public, setting a December 10 deadline for a report.

Kelly, a retired U.S. Navy captain, remains subject to military discipline under the Uniform Code of Military Justice even while serving in the Senate. Hegseth noted that five of the six lawmakers are outside Pentagon jurisdiction but emphasized Kelly’s continued accountability as a former officer.

Possible outcomes of the investigation range from no action to a formal reprimand or recalling Kelly to active duty for court-martial. Kelly has accused the administration of attempting to suppress dissent, stating: “I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”

A group of Senate Democrats on the Armed Services and Judiciary committees has written letters to Navy Secretary John Phelan and the FBI condemning the review as “baseless and patently political.” Conservatives, however, argue the video crossed a critical line by directly inserting partisan messaging into questions of military obedience and discipline.