Mark Kelly responds to investigation by Pentagon over ‘illegal orders’ video

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., appeared on MS NOW’s “The Rachel Maddow Present” Monday, the place he responded to the Pentagon’s announcement that it has opened a proper investigation into allegations of misconduct following a video calling on service members to “refuse unlawful orders.”

On Monday, the Pentagon introduced its investigation into Kelly, a retired Navy captain, and stated it might recall the senator to energetic obligation to face a court-martial or different administrative actions below the Uniform Code of Army Justice (UCMJ).

When requested by Maddow in regards to the Pentagon investigation, Kelly stated, “Nicely, Rachel, I stated one thing that was fairly easy and non-controversial, and that was that members of the army ought to observe the regulation. And in response to that, Donald Trump stated, I needs to be executed, I needs to be hanged. I needs to be prosecuted.”

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Senator Mark Kelly on MS NOW’s “The Rachel Maddow Present” on Monday, November 24, 2025. (Screenshot/MS now)

Kelly added that President Donald Trump “stated one thing about, ‘Go get ’em,'” suggesting the president plans to “ship a mob to get me and the opposite folks.”

“That is – I believe it says much more about him than it does about me. He would not need to be held accountable. However Rachel, I cannot be silenced. I cannot be intimidated,” he asserted.

Maddow then requested what “particular, probably unlawful orders” Kelly and his colleagues had been involved about after they determined to document a video urging company members to refuse them.

“You do not need to wait till your youngster will get hit by a automotive earlier than you inform him to look each methods. It is fairly easy,” Kelly stated. “And should you return to 2016, when Donald Trump was on a debate stage speaking about an motion he was going to take, he was reminded by the moderator that that might be unlawful, that the army wouldn’t have the ability to observe these orders. And his reply, Donald Trump’s reply, was, ‘The army wouldn’t refuse my orders.’”

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Senator Mark Kelly argued that his feedback calling on troopers to “refuse unlawful orders” had been “non-controversial.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name, Inc by way of Getty Photographs; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Photographs)

Kelly continued, claiming that Trump was speaking about “taking pictures folks – residents of this nation – within the legs,” particularly “protesters,” including that “luckily, Mark Esper, Mark Milley defined to him that that would not be a good suggestion.”

“Now he is speaking about riot, sending troops into extra cities, utilizing American cities as coaching grounds and Americans to coach the American army. So, Rachel, we needed to do one thing quite simple right here. We needed to remind those who they should obey the regulation and be reminded of it, and in addition clarify to the members of the army that we now have their again, that we all know what is going on on,” he continued. ‘It is a part of our job, being accountable to the federal authorities. And that is the response we get. He instructed the world that we needs to be hanged.”

The White Home didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.

Final week, Kelly and 5 different Democratic members of Congress posted a video addressed to army and intelligence officers saying, “Our legal guidelines are clear. You’ll be able to refuse unlawful orders.”

PENTAGON THREATENS DEMOCRATIC SENATOR FOR MARTIAL OVER ‘REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS’ VIDEO

Secretary of Battle Pete Hegseth responded to the Democratic lawmakers’ viral video with the remark: “Section 4 TDS.” (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

4 of the opposite Democrats beforehand served within the army however usually are not retired and due to this fact not lined by the UCMJ, in line with Secretary of Battle Pete Hegseth. One other, Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., is a former CIA officer.

“The division is reviewing his statements and actions, which had been instantly addressed to all troops, explicitly utilizing his rank and repair affiliation – giving his phrases the looks of authority,” Hegseth stated. “Kelly’s conduct brings the armed forces into disrepute and will probably be handled appropriately.”

In response to the video, Trump stated the lawmakers needs to be arrested and tried for “seditious conduct.”

“Seditious conduct, punishable by dying!” he stated.

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Morgan Phillips of Fox Information contributed to this report.