Sen. Mark Kelly faces possible demotion and a reduction in retirement pay from a military censure. This is due to his participation in a seditious video last year.
Hegseth announced on Monday that he formally issued the censure against Kelly and initiated official proceedings to downgrade his retirement rank and pay grade.
Secretary of the Navy John Phelan will review Kelly’s status. He must then provide a recommendation to the Defense Department within the next 45 days.
Secretary Pete Hegseth explained on X:
Six weeks ago, Senator Mark Kelly — and five other members of Congress — released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline. As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice. And the Department of War — and the American people — expect justice.
Therefore, in response to Senator Mark Kelly’s seditious statements — and his pattern of reckless misconduct — the Department of War is taking administrative action against Captain Mark E. Kelly, USN (Ret). The department has initiated retirement grade determination proceedings under 10 U.S.C. § 1370(f), with reduction in his retired grade resulting in a corresponding reduction in retired pay.
A military censure typically includes a letter formally expressing strong disapproval of a service member’s conduct that is placed into his or her official file.
To ensure this action, the Secretary of War has also issued a formal Letter of Censure, which outlines the totality of Captain (for now) Kelly’s reckless misconduct. This Censure is a necessary process step, and will be placed in Captain Kelly’s official and permanent military personnel file.
Captain Kelly has been provided notice of the basis for this action and has thirty days to submit a response. The retirement grade determination process directed by Secretary Hegseth will be completed within forty five days.
Captain Kelly’s status as a sitting United States Senator does not exempt him from accountability, and further violations could result in further action.
These actions are based on Captain Kelly’s public statements from June through December 2025 in which he characterized lawful military operations as illegal and counseled members of the Armed Forces to refuse lawful orders. This conduct was seditious in nature and violated Articles 133 and 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, to which Captain Kelly remains subject as a retired officer receiving pay.
Kelly will have 30 days to appeal Hegseth’s order.
Kelly pushed back against the censure in a statement on Monday. He decried the move saying Hegseth is “send(ing) the message to every single retired servicemember that if they say something he or Donald Trump doesn’t like, they will come after them the same way.”
He’s trying to make it about other service members when it’s clearly only about him.
“It’s outrageous, and it is wrong,” he added. “There is nothing more un-American than that.”
Kelly said he would fight the demotion efforts. He intends to send a message to Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump. The message is they “don’t get to decide what Americans in this country get to say about their government.”
The video Kelly appeared in was meant to encourage servicemen to betray their leadership. It appears to be part of a color revolution. Kelly is getting off easy.
He is doing this to himself. As far as his free speech, he hasn’t stopped talking.
Hope they demote him to E2 ( seaman recruit) his claim to fame is no different than Katy Perry and the other so failed astronauts.
It is very unlikely that the military will reverse its decision. US courts have no say so on it. Kelly made a huge mistake. A censure and demotion is an incredible dishonor. And his words were at the worst possible time – when America was reacting to the drugging and invasion of America by Venezuela. So, he made those remarks… Read more »
Good comment almost to the end. Already the DoJ is hampered by the assignment of a TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) Judge in the Maduro drug case, as well as the blocking of a Trump appointment of the prosecutor. It will be interesting to follow the prosecution.
There was no reason for Bondi to locate the trial in NY.