"The preening former Fox News host was fresh off standing next to President Trump as he announced the illegal capture of Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on charges of narcotrafficking (and the clear subtext of mishandling the country's oil resources). The months-long, large-scale military and intelligence action in Venezuela served to prove that so far, not many US security personnel are listening to Kelly and his veteran colleagues about the imperative to refuse illegal orders."
"Kelly shot back at Hegseth quickly Monday morning on X, citing his 25 years in the Navy, 39 combat missions and four missions to space "to defend the Constitution, including the First Amendment rights of every American to speak out. I never expected that the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense would attack me for doing exactly that.""
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to investigate and possibly court-martial Senator Mark Kelly after Kelly joined five other Democrats in a November video advising military personnel they have a right to refuse illegal orders. Hegseth formally censured Kelly and announced a reduction to his military pension, calling the video reckless and seditious and saying it undermined good order and military discipline. Hegseth said Kelly could face reduction in his retirement rank, though no court-martial proceeding has been initiated. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, stood with President Trump as Trump announced the capture of Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro and his wife. The large-scale Venezuela action suggested that few US security personnel followed Kelly's call to refuse illegal orders. Kelly replied on X, citing 25 years in the Navy, 39 combat missions and four space missions and defending the First Amendment rights of Americans to speak out.
Read at The Nation
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