Kelly defiant after Pentagon escalates video investigation
Arizona senator is among six Democrats who urged troops to disobey ‘illegal’ orders
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., on Tuesday said the Pentagon’s newly announced escalation of an investigation into him was part of an effort to deter servicemembers and government employees from speaking out against President Donald Trump.
A Defense Department official confirmed on Tuesday that the Pentagon was escalating a preliminary review of Kelly’s involvement in a video in which he urged troops to disobey unlawful orders into an “official command investigation” for “serious allegations of misconduct.”
Speaking to reporters after an all-senators briefing on counter-drug strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, Kelly said the Pentagon’s investigation into him was “bullshit” and intended to silence critics of Trump.
The November social media video on which the investigation is based also includes five other Democrats in Congress: Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire. Slotkin served in the CIA, while the others served in the armed forces.
https://rollcall.com/2025/12/16/kelly-defiant-after-pentagon-escalates-video-investigation/