'Clear violation of military law': MS NOW host says Hegseth doomed his own lawmaker threat

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's threats against the six Democratic lawmakers who posted the video reminding active troops they must refuse unlawful orders, is already set up to fail, MS NOW's Chris Hayes said on Tuesday evening.

That's because, he said, he has left a paper trail making clear he is pursuing potential court-martials of those lawmakers for illegal reasons — and perhaps none more so than against Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who posted a defiant image of himself in his uniform saying he would not be bullied.

"Here was theSecretary of Defense literallygoing after Kelly on socialmedia," said Hayes. "Quote: 'So, Captain Kelly,not only did your seditionvideo intentionally undercutgood order and discipline, butyou can't en display youruniform correctly. Your medalsare out of order and rowsreversed. When/if you'rerecalled to active duty, I'llstart with a uniform inspection."

"While nitpicking, Hegsethfailed to note that several ofKelly's medals were for valorin battle, and as Punchbowl News points out, his posts willalmost certainly raisequestions of so-called unlawfulcommand influence over themilitary judicial process," said Hayes. "Yousee, in the military, where you,of course, have to followorders, right? There are lawsagainst commanders trying toinfluence criminal proceedings."

In other words, Hayes continued, "Hegseth is picking publicfights with Kelly in ways thatmake clear what the commander-in-chief and Defense Secretarywant. That is a clear violationof military law. In fact, itcould doom any military caseagainst Kelly in precisely thesame way that Trump's DOJ andhis handpicked noviceprosecutor, Lindsey Halligan,managed to screw up the revenge cases against James Comey andLetitia James."

"What they havetried to do with the criminaljustice system, they are nowapparently trying to do withthe military justice system," said Hayes.

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