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 the Secretary of Defense literally going after Kelly on social media," said Hayes. "Quote: 'So, Captain Kelly, not only did your sedition video intentionally undercut good order and discipline, but you can't en display your uniform correctly. Your medals are out of order and rows reversed. When/if you're recalled to active duty, I'll start with a uniform inspection."
"While nitpicking, Hegseth failed to note that several of Kelly's medals were for valor in battle, and as Punchbowl News points out, his posts will almost certainly raise questions of so-called unlawful command influence over the military judicial process," said Hayes. "You see, in the military, where you, of course, have to follow orders, right? There are laws against commanders trying to influence criminal proceedings."
In other words, Hayes continued, "Hegseth is picking public fights with Kelly in ways that make clear what the commander-in-chief and Defense Secretary want. That is a clear violation of military law. In fact, it could doom any military case against Kelly in precisely the same way that Trump's DOJ and his handpicked novice prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, managed to screw up the revenge cases against James Comey and Letitia James."
"What they have tried to do with the criminal justice system, they are now apparently trying to do with the military justice system," said Hayes.
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