WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has issued a letter of censure to Democratic Senator Mark Kelly and may reduce his military rank in retirement over a video urging US personnel to refuse illegal orders, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday.

“Kelly — and five other members of Congress — released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline,” Hegseth said in a post on X. In response to the November video and other statements, the Pentagon opened proceedings that could see Kelly’s retired rank reduced, said Hegseth, who has also “issued a formal Letter of Censure, which outlines the totality of Captain (for now) Kelly’s reckless misconduct.”

The senator from Arizona hit back, saying on X that Hegseth “wants to send the message to every single retired service member that if they say something he or Donald Trump doesn’t like, they will come after them the same way. It’s outrageous and it is wrong.”

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2026