Senator Mark Kelly sends a strong message to Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump following threats of censure
One of the several people who have consistently been at odds with Donald Trump since he began his second term as president this year is Mark Kelly, a senior senator from Arizona. Their disagreements have been going on for quite a while; however, it has recently escalated to alarming proportions, to the point where Pete Hegseth, the United States Secretary of War and a devoted follower of Trump, is now threatening to dismiss Kelly from his position due to his refusal to adhere to Trump’s policies.
On January 5, 2026, several news outlets, including The Washington Examiner, reported that Pete Hegseth is planning to demote Mark Kelly and issue a “censure” regarding a video he recently appeared in, where he encouraged service members not to follow “illegal” orders. This would result in a pay cut for Kelly. He is expected to respond within 30 days, after which further actions will be determined, but it seems he doesn’t need that much time to express his thoughts. On January 5, 2026, Senator Mark Kelly took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to share his views on the issue. He began his address to Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump by mentioning his contributions to the United States government and expressing his astonishment upon learning about the extreme measures Trump and Hegseth were planning to take against him. He wrote:
“Over twenty-five years in the U.S. Navy, thirty-nine combat missions, and four missions to space, I risked my life for this country and to defend our 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.”
He continued his message, highlighting the sacrifices he had made for America, which also included getting shot at, being away from family members during important occasions such as birthdays and holidays, and working on a space shuttle mission while his wife was recovering from a “gunshot wound to the head.” Kelly also made a simple observation about the Trump administration, highlighting that it does not like to entertain challenge and opposition from people and that when someone exhibits such behaviour, they ensure that it is immediately quashed.
He concluded his message by highlighting his decision to continue to fight for what is right for him and the American people and to not be deterred by external forces such as Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump. He said:
“If Pete Hegseth, the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in our country’s history, thinks he can intimidate me with a censure or threats to demote me or prosecute me, he still doesn’t get it. I will fight this with everything I’ve got — not for myself, but to send a message back that Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump don’t get to decide what Americans in this country get to say about their government.”
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