Mark Kelly fires back at Hegseth’s rank threats, vows to fight Pentagon retaliation

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) unleashed a blistering response after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth moved to censure him and initiate proceedings that could strip him of his retired Navy rank and cut his military pension, a rare and politically charged escalation tied to a video Kelly made urging service members not to follow unlawful orders. Kelly denounced Hegseth’s actions as “outrageous” and “un-American,” saying decades of military service—including combat missions and space flights—earned him his rank and that the threats are meant to intimidate critics of the Trump administration’s policies. He vowed to fight the move “with everything I’ve got,” framing it as an attack on free speech and a chilling message to veterans and all Americans who dissent.

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