Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a uniform inspection will be the first order of business if Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona is recalled to active duty over charges that the retired Navy captain committed unspecified allegations of misconduct by participating in an anti-Trump video with five fellow Democratic lawmakers.
Mr. Kelly is one of six lawmakers who are military or intelligence veterans and released a video calling on U.S. military personnel to reject any orders that can be considered illegal. The Trump administration said the video was seditious and undermined discipline in the ranks.
Mr. Kelly responded with a post on X that detailed his 25-year Navy career and later service as a NASA astronaut. He also displayed his military uniform, which included his fighter pilot wings and medals.
“So, ‘Captain’ Kelly, not only did your sedition video intentionally undercut good order and discipline, but you can’t even display your uniform correctly,” Mr. Hegseth posted Tuesday on X. “Your medals are out of order, and rows reversed. When/if you are recalled to active duty, it’ll start with a uniform inspection.”
Mr. Hegseth adopted the title “secretary of war” after President Trump authorized the renaming of the Defense Department to the War Department. However, Congress has yet to authorize the name change.
The defense secretary said the 90-second video that urged troops to “refuse illegal orders” may seem harmless to civilians but carries consequences inside the military.
The video was posted on Nov. 18. In addition to Mr. Kelly, it features Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Reps. Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Jason Crow of Colorado and Chrissy Houlahan and Chris Deluzio, both of Pennsylvania.
The Democratic lawmakers said domestic threats to the Constitution, presumably from the Trump administration, are as real as those coming from overseas.
Mr. Hegseth said the video was part of a “politically motivated influence operation” that never identified a specific illegal order committed by the Trump administration and created “ambiguity rather than clarity” for military personnel.
“It subtly reframed military obedience around partisan distrust instead of established legal processes,” Mr. Hegseth posted. “In the military, vague rhetoric and ambiguity undermines trust, creates hesitation in the chain of command, and erodes cohesion.”
The military has procedures for handling unlawful orders and doesn’t need “political actors” injecting doubt into an already clear chain of command, he wrote.
“As veterans of various sorts, the ‘Seditious Six’ knew exactly what they were doing — sowing doubt through a politically-motivated influence operation,” Mr. Hegseth said. “The Department of War won’t fall for it or stand for it.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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