Vets, civilians decry Mark Kelly treason investigation
Joe Duhownick
PHOENIX (CN) — Military veterans defended U.S. Senator Mark Kelly on Wednesday after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called for an investigation into accusations of sedition and treason.
Kelly, a retired Navy captain and Democrat from Arizona, released a video last week with five other Democrats reminding active duty service members that they are legally bound to refuse unlawful orders. President Donald Trump called Kelly and the rest “traitors” for posting the video and suggested their “seditious behavior” could be punishable by death, later reposting a Truth Social post urging them to be hanged.
Veterans and supporters of Kelly say the video simply restates the clear language of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: unlawful orders are not to be obeyed. But Trump supporters say the video, while perhaps not illegal on its face, is a clear attempt to sow division and contempt among military ranks.
“All this because someone said you can refuse unlawful orders,” Navy veteran and former military lawyer Tim Stringham said outside the Arizona Capitol. “This is a waste of time in the way this entire administration is a waste of time.”
Army vet Signa Oliver said she trained troops on the rules of engagement while stationed in Georgia.
“In this teaching, I emphasized you are not to obey an unlawful order or you will be prosecuted as a criminal. But I guess if we have a criminal — I’m gonna leave that one alone," she jabbed.
The video comes as Trump increases deadly airstrikes off the Venezuelan coast and deploys National Guard troops to major cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. But neither Kelly nor other Democratic lawmakers Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Chrissy Houlahan and Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, and Jason Crow of Colorado identified what unlawful orders, if any, they referred to.
Some say that’s the problem.
“I didn’t appreciate the video,” Phoenix resident Mike Taylor said. “They need to be more specific. They’re talking about illegal orders. Well, which ones are you talking about?”
On X, Hegseth tweeted that the video’s ambiguity reflects intention to cause confusion and “reframe military disobedience around partisan distrust.”
“If that’s the concern, ask for clarification!” Stringham retorted.
Taylor said the Democrats blew Trump’s initial response out of proportion.
“Trump Derangement Syndrome,” he called the backlash to Trump’s social media rhetoric. “But I wish he wouldn’t do all that stuff. Way too much tweeting. I think he’s got more important things to do.”
Taylor agreed that the video likely constitutes no crime and that Kelly shouldn’t be investigated.
“They did it. They got called out. I don’t know where to go from here,” he said.
When surveyed around downtown Phoenix, most people said they hadn’t seen the video or heard about the Trump administration’s response. Of those who were aware, most declined to comment, though some said “it’s ridiculous,” or “fuck Trump” in passing. Students at Arizona State University’s Phoenix campus remained tight-lipped as they moved to and from class.
Beatriz Topete, a local labor union leader, said she fears how the government will treat the working class if a decorated war hero and retired astronaut is punished for just telling the truth.
“What message does that send to the housekeeper working a double shift?” she asked. “To a dishwasher? To the young soldier trying to understand their own responsibilities under the law?”
Hegseth first announced his intent to investigate Kelly on Monday, and ordered the Navy to review the video and report back to him by Dec. 10. The FBI has requested interviews with all six lawmakers, but only Kelly is subject to investigation by the Department of Defense.
Though each is a former military or intelligence officer, Kelly is the only one who retired from the military. That means he remains on the Navy’s payroll and remains subject to the Uniform Military Code of Justice. Hegseth said Kelly could be called back to active duty and court-martialed, depending on the outcome of the naval investigation.