LOS ANGELES (OC).–Investigating Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Az.), the Pentagon announced that it will evaluate a video posted on X by Kelly and several other Senators and Representatives asking current enlisted military personnel to resist orders given by the President of the United States. Pentagon officials, led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, said Kelly’s video asking military personnel to resist President Donald Trump orders as commander-in-chief breaches military law that accepts civilian control of the military. “You can refuse illegal orders,” Kelly said in his video, directly violating the chain-of-command that his the president as the final word when it comes to Pentagon orders. Kelly and six other former military or intel member of Congress, said “you can refuse illegal orders” and “stand up for our laws . . . our Constitution. Kelly essentially tells all military personnel to determine for themselves what’s legal and what is not in deciding whether to follow Trump’s orders.
Pentagon’s official response to Kelly’s video said that Kelly interfered with the “loyalty, morale, or got order and discipline of the armed forces,” citing a federal law that prohibits military personnel from defying presidential orders. “A thorough review of these allegations has been initiated to determine further actions, which may included recall to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures,” read the Pentagon’s statement. Trump initial response to Kelly’s video talked about sedition or treason, inviting military personnel to determine what is legal and what is not in the way of presidential orders. No enlisted personnel can make legal decisions about the nature of certain orders. Kelly invited enlisted personnel to question the legality of the president’s action, though it’s not entirely clear what Kelly believes are illegal actions.
Since Trump was elected president in 2024, Democrats have been openly definant, taking extreme measures of rallying their base to take to the streets to protest Trump’s presidency. Most often cited reasons involve violating the Constitution or rule of law implementing his deportation program using ICE an Homeland security agents to arrest and evict noncitizens from staying in the country. Democrats in major crime-infested cities object to Trump ordering the national guard or actual military troops to deploy to American cities. When it comes to Trump’s war on narco-trafficking in the open seas, no enlisted personnel can determine whether it’s legal or
not. So, when Kelly asked members of the military to question the legality of Trump’s orders, he’s way out of line.
Democrats have rallied behind Kelly because they know he’s part of the Democrat strategy to take back the house in 2026. Democrats and the fake news run a phony campaign against Trump saying he violates his oath of office, certainly the Constitution. But whether Trump actually violates anything remains uncertain. Kelly is part of the Democrats campaign strategy against Trump, designed to hammer down his approval ratings between now and the 2016 presidential election. When Pentagon officials say they’re investigating Kelly, it’s with good cause for letting dirty Democrats politics interfere with his judgment. Kelly can’t tell enlisted personnel to question the commander-in-chief without consequences. Trump’s initial reaction was on
e of sedition or treason but those determinations will have to made in the military or civilian courts.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was clear that Kelly was out-of-line questioning the president’s command-and-control authority. “Kelly’s conduct brings discredit upon the amred forces and w ill be addressed appropriately,” Hegseth said. No matter how may fellow Democrats rush to Kelly defense, When Kelly tells enlisted personnel “you can refuse illegal orders,” he’s presuming military personnel knows what’s illegal, what is not. Anyone with any common sense knows that Kelly went out-of-line instructing the rank-and-file to resist the president’s orders if they determine it’s illegality. “These politicians are out of their minds,” said Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell. Democrats only want to highlight Trump’s reactions of Treason raising the death penalty. But the real issue involves whether elected officials can tell the military to defy Trump’s orders.
Kelly was caught up in the Democrat political strategy of discrediting Trump between now and the 2026 Midterm elections. Of all the elected officials that understand the chain-of-command, Kelly was carerr Navy, should know better, raising the real possibility that he was put up to make the video by the Democratic National Committee. Kelly know better than to challenge the chain of command, having serve in a military capaicity for most of his carrer. Calling Trump’s words very serious that carry “tremendous weight,” Kelly hoped he could resolve this without rung up on charges. Whether Hegseth can call back Kelly into active duty to face courts martial is anyone’s guess. Kelly said Trump’s words were “very serious” and “carry tremendous weight,” saying “because of what he says there is now increased threats against us,” Kelly said about Trump’s actions.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
