this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2025
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The Pentagon says it is investigating Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona for possible breaches of military law after Kelly joined a handful of other lawmakers in a video that called for U.S. troops to refuse unlawful orders.

The Pentagon’s statement, which was posted on social media on Monday, cited a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty on orders of the defense secretary for possible court-martial or other measures. Kelly served in the U.S. Navy as a fighter pilot before going on to become an astronaut. He retired at the rank of captain.

It is extraordinary for the Pentagon, which until the second Trump term has usually gone out of its way to act and appear apolitical, to directly threaten a sitting member of Congress with investigation.

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[–] riskable@programming.dev 152 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Let's look at the logic here: If we don't expect troops to defy illegal orders, that means some commanding officer could order his troops to kill the president 🤔

That's illegal but... The Trump administration thinks orders should be followed no matter what.

[–] tidderuuf@lemmy.world 38 points 3 days ago (1 children)

People were saying a similar thing about what Biden should do when we found out Trump won.

Looks like nothing happened so I can only assume the same result will be there and Trump will still chug a long until his fish o filet heart finally encrusts over.

[–] some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

Upvoted for "fish o filet" heart

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 74 points 2 days ago

"Fascists Attempt To Prosecute Citizens For Supporting The Rule of Law"

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 55 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

Kelly told troops “you can refuse illegal orders,” and other lawmakers said they needed troops to “stand up for our laws ... our Constitution.”

...

“Kelly’s conduct brings discredit upon the armed forces and will be addressed appropriately,” Hegseth added.

Days after the video was released, President Donald Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH” in a social media post.

...

Troops, especially uniformed commanders, do have a specific obligations to reject orders that are unlawful, if they make that determination.

So he told the troops to do things everyone agrees they are sworn to do, and Republicans complain he's bringing the military into disrepute and call for his imprisonment and execution, and the Dept of Defense (War?) then pursues ways to achieve this. I guess the USA isn't doing that whole constitution thing any more.

[–] logicbomb@lemmy.world 20 points 3 days ago

For these types of stories, I always think of traffic laws and speed limits, specifically because most people are familiar with breaking those laws.

"The speed limit here is 30 miles per hour. You should not drive over the speed limit."

"We need to investigate this person because he is telling people to follow the law."

This reasoning is sort of unthinkable and unfair.

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 18 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The sooner the majority of Americans realize that we are dealing with actual, real life traitors operating our federal government, the sooner we can deal with them.

I'm hoping that moment comes sooner than later, but I'm not crossing my fingers.

[–] MonkeMischief@lemmy.today 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Y'know when things were relatively less crazy with Russia, I remember lotsa military fiction (or maybe just Modern Warfare 1 idk) using "Russian Ultranationalists " as the "never-ending military bad guy goon-squad terrorist faction" that's okay to fight and kill in an entertainment product while still saying "Any resemblance is coincidental."

...My point is that the highest offices of the U.S are controlled by a US "ultranationalist" terrorist goon squad faction. They're such ridiculously overt bad guys that they'd be considered too outlandish for a Michael Bay movie.

...and everybody's like "Oh my! So shocking! Well, you know, this is just politics."

They just don't want to believe that a violent fringe cult is right there in front of them, ransacking and demolishing centuries of progress.

They must be stopped or they won't stop.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 2 days ago

That isn't even completely accurate, it's not that they can refuse unlawful orders, they are literally required to refuse them.

[–] Assassassin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 49 points 3 days ago (1 children)

“Kelly’s conduct brings discredit upon the armed forces and will be addressed appropriately,” Hegseth said on his personal X account. Of the wider group, he added that “their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion — which only puts our warriors in danger.”

Hmm. It would seem that if you're only giving blatantly lawful orders, this wouldn't sow doubt and confusion.

I forget what part of the constitution says that the government has carte blanche authority to airstrike random Columbians. Maybe that's what's sowing the doubt and confusion?

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 2 days ago

I think they discredited it themselves when they put a Fox News talk show host in charge.

[–] expatriado@lemmy.world 43 points 3 days ago (1 children)

sounds like a nazi thing to do

[–] massive_bereavement@fedia.io 10 points 3 days ago (1 children)

"I was just following orders"

[–] Furbag@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

"Good soldier. Now, here are your next set of orders: Stand right there on those gallows and put that noose around your neck."

That's what I hope they'll say to anyone who tries to use the Nuremberg Defense when they get prosecuted for blowing up civilian boats in international waters.

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 38 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Ok so they're investigating Mark Kelly because he might be treasonous?

Without even going into the benign and responsible content of his words, let's just talk about possible signs that you might be on the wrong side...

Again, they're questioning a retired Navy officer and NASA astronaut on his professional and patriotic integrity... Hmm

[–] MonkeMischief@lemmy.today 15 points 2 days ago

Without even going into the benign and responsible content of his words,

Right? And the Penty gets all riled up and barking at him. . .

...after the douchebag occupying the POTUS chair publicly made a literal death threat against our own countrymen for advising the military to. . . (Flips papers) " Not do illegal things if ordered to do illegal things.

[–] nulluser@lemmy.world 29 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Funny how the administration keeps bringing this up in the news cycle, repeatedly reminding troops that they should not obey illegal orders. If they'd just ignored the video, everyone would have forgotten about it by now.

It's as if they either A) have never heard of the Streisand Effect, or B) are trying to distract everyone from something else.

Anyway, how about them Epstein Files?

[–] Jumbie@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 days ago

They keep bringing it up as a lesson to servicemen. “We can do it to this influential person so you don’t have a chance, young marine. Now attack those civilians.”

Senators: "Hey if your boss tells you to do something illegal you should not do it."

Trump administration:

collapsed inline media

[–] dan1101@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

We need to investigate those in the Pentagon that are giving out illegal orders.

[–] ohshit604@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

We need to investigate those in the Pentagon that are giving out illegal orders.

Something, something, we investigated ourselves and found no wrong doing?

[–] dan1101@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

Probably something Congress should be doing, but their record hasn't been too great this year.

[–] Sanctus@anarchist.nexus 12 points 3 days ago

They gonna find a way to kill these people

[–] MourningDove@lemmy.zip 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

This is treaon.

[–] RattlerSix@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago

I'm not a law guy but I seriously doubt there is a military law that says it is illegal to say not to do illegal things

[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

Senator Mark Kelly is 100% correct. Hegseth and his fucked up merry band of SS thugs are out of line with their BS.

[–] switcheroo@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago

How dare you follow the Constitution!

-- bleated the republikkkans

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

So they’re not investigating the guy who sucked off a horse being blackmailed by Putin?

[–] AniZaeger@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

I guess they better start court martialing every single drill sergeant, recruit division commander, military training instructor, and drill instructor currently serving, because I'm pretty sure that every single one has said the exact same thing to every one of their recruits.

Well, maybe they should be, because obviously the lessons must not be sticking if servicemen and women have to be reminded of their most basic lesson from training by senators.