A legal expert Thursday warned that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sent a "chilling" message to the military in his recent attack on lawmakers who issued a video message warning service members not to obey unlawful orders.
MS NOW legal correspondent Lisa Rubin told anchor Katy Tur that Hegseth's move to threaten lawmakers behind the 90-second video telling service members, "our laws are clear — you can refuse illegal orders. … You must refuse illegal orders." Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), one of the lawmakers and military members in the video, has filed a federal lawsuit against Hegseth, Navy Secretary John Phelan, and both departments, claiming constitutional violations after Hegseth has taunted Kelly and the other lawmakers with an investigation, among other potential punitive actions.
Tur asked Rubin if other veterans who disagree with the Trump administration's policies could voice their concerns or if they could be in trouble over speaking out.
"That's unclear, right, because on one hand, these particular members of Congress attract attention because of their visibility," Rubin said.
"They are not ordinary former members of the service. They are all members of the existing Congress," she added. "On the other hand, is the sort of action that the administration is either threatening or already carrying out against these members, certain to have a chilling effect. Absolutely. And perhaps you might one might argue that that is actually the intent that they don't want to prosecute, much less convict these folks so much as they want to send a message to former and active duty members across the country, speak out against us and what we are doing at your peril."