On Monday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the launch of an investigation into a Democratic senator who urged military personnel to defy orders from former President Donald Trump.

Senator Mark Kelly is under scrutiny by the Pentagon following his appearance in a video last week. In the video, he, along with other Democratic lawmakers, advised military and intelligence members to resist following what they described as ‘illegal’ orders.

Hegseth condemned the video, featuring six Democratic lawmakers with military or intelligence backgrounds, by calling it “despicable, reckless, and false.” He expressed on social media platform X that the video undermines military discipline and creates dangerous confusion for service members. Kelly, a former Navy service member of over 20 years, was among those featured.

The lawmakers in the video emphasized, “Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders.” This statement has sparked significant controversy.

In response, the president took to Truth Social to label their actions as ‘seditious’ and ‘treasonous,’ suggesting they should face execution. His post included a dramatic declaration: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” followed by a repost advocating, “HANG THEM, GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD!”

‘SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!’ before reposting another them that stated, ‘HANG THEM, GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD!’

Even though Kelly is a retired military officer, he is still available for recall into service and therefore subject to military law. The others were discharged after their resignations, meaning they no longer fall under the military’s jurisdiction.

Kelly responded to the Pentagon’s latest investigation by claiming he would not be intimidated by bullies.

Mark Kelly made a video with other Democratic lawmakers where he called on soldiers to ignore illegal orders from President Trump

Trump responded to the video by calling for the execution of the Democratic lawmakers, including Kelly

‘Secretary Hegseth’s tweet is the first I heard of this. I also saw the President’s posts saying I should be arrested, hanged, and put to death,’ Kelly told the Daily Mail. 

‘If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work. I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution,’ Kelly added

Hegseth noted that the other five Democrats will not be investigated because they do not fall under the Pentagon’s jurisdiction.

The others include Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, an ex-CIA analyst who served multiple tours in Iraq; Representative Jason Crow of Colorado, a former Army Ranger; Representative Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, a former Navy reservist; and Representative Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, a former Air Force officer.

‘Mark Kelly (retired Navy Commander) is still subject to Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) — and he knows that,’ Hegseth added.

‘The Department is reviewing his statements and actions, which were addressed directly to all troops while explicitly using his rank and service affiliation — lending the appearance of authority to his words.’

Kelly, who represents Arizona, did not specify what ‘illegal’ orders servicemembers should ignore from the president; however, Democrats have recently raised concerns about the legality of US military strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. 

Democratic critics of Trump have slammed the White House over the president’s deployment of National Guard troops to cities across the US without the approval of governors.

In response to Trump’s threat to execute Democratic lawmakers, the top Democratic in the House, Hakeem Jeffries, issued with a statement along with other party leaders condemning the president for ‘political violence’ adding that it ‘has no place in America.’

Pete Hegseth launched the investigation into Kelly following Trump’s calls for violence against Democrats

Kelly told his social media followers on Sunday that he would not be ‘intimated’ by Trump while also bashing Republican lawmakers for remaining silent over the president’s threats.

‘Two months ago Trump and Republicans were saying we need to dial back the rhetoric. Now the President himself suggests members of Congress should be hanged, and it’s crickets.’

In the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination, Republican lawmakers and influencers blamed Democrats for fueling the rise of ‘toxic’ political rhetoric, arguing that the escalating hostility has helped create an environment ripe for violence against conservatives.