Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday that the Pentagon is formally censuring Senator Mark Kelly and launching serious administrative proceedings to consider reducing the Arizona Democrat’s rank in retirement. This move is the latest, and easily the most aggressive, twist in a dispute that has been simmering for weeks regarding the decorated astronaut’s political commentary against the Trump administration.
Hegseth didn’t mince words, stating in a social media post that since Kelly is a retired Navy officer, he’s “still accountable to military justice.” The Secretary repeatedly hammered the allegation that Senator Kelly has made “seditious statements,” which is an incredibly heavy charge to level against a sitting lawmaker. This whole process is extremely serious, and it seems like President Trump’s administration isn’t messing around when it comes to dissent.
