The Pentagon just escalated its politically charged probe into Mark Kelly over a statement every soldier is taught

The Pentagon just kicked its preliminary review into Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) up a massive notch, escalating the process to an official Command Investigation, as per The Hill. This is a huge development in the politically charged probe centered on the retired Navy captain’s participation in a video where he advised U.S. service members to disobey “illegal orders.”

Kelly, who served 25 years in the U.S. Navy and retired with the rank of captain, is under investigation for what the department calls “serious allegations of misconduct.” The investigation stems from a joint clip Kelly made with five other Democratic lawmakers who also have military or intelligence backgrounds. In the clip, they told U.S. forces that they can refuse illegal orders potentially issued by the Trump administration, such as the contentious boat strikes in the Caribbean.

Kelly immediately fired back at the administration, accusing President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of abusing their power. He warned that these actions “should send a shiver down the spine of every patriotic American.” Kelly stated that the administration is “threatening everything I fought and served for” across his military career, all because he “repeated something every service member is taught.”

Kelly is framing the issue as standard military instruction being weaponized for political gain

A Pentagon official confirmed the escalation, noting that Secretary Hegseth’s office and the Defense Department’s Office of General Counsel are now moving the review forward. The official stated that further official comments would be limited to “preserve the integrity of the proceedings.” This escalation comes after the initial “thorough review” began in late November when the Defense Department (DOD) first received the misconduct allegations.

The timeline shows just how quickly the administration is pushing this process. The day after the initial review started, Hegseth ordered the Navy to wrap up its findings and submit them to the DOD by December 10. Just last week, the Navy submitted a report regarding potential punishments against the Arizona senator to the DOD’s Office of General Counsel. That office is currently providing a legal review and input, though the content of that specific report remains unclear.

The video that prompted the investigation also featured Senator Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Representatives Chris Deluzio (Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (N.H.), Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.), and Jason Crow (Colo.). The joint statement caused significant backlash from GOP lawmakers and President Trump.

Kelly didn’t hold back when addressing the political pressure he feels he’s been under, noting that the official investigation follows previous threats against him. He specifically called out past statements from the administration. “It wasn’t enough for Donald Trump to say I should be hanged,” Kelly wrote on X. “It wasn’t enough for Pete Hegseth to threaten me with a court martial.”

Kelly made it clear he won’t be intimidated by the official command investigation. He asserted that if Trump and Hegseth “think this will stop me from doing what I’ve done every day of my adult life, fighting for this country, then they’ve got the wrong guy.”