On Monday, the social media account of Pete Hegseth’s so-called “Department of War” posted that the department is investigating Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a retired Navy officer.
Kelly’s supposed offense? He participated in a video reminding members of the armed forces that they have no duty to follow illegal orders — a concept enshrined in the Code of Military Justice, the shameful case of Lt. William Calley and the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War, the Geneva Conventions, and the Nuremberg Trials.
I’ve known Mark for several decades. I saw him pilot rockets into space. I gave a blessing at his marriage to Gabby Giffords.
I visited with Mark soon after Gabby was shot, in Tucson in 2011. He was brave, steadfast. If she survived (which wasn’t at all clear at the time), he was determined to go on with their lives together, doing whatever needed to be done. He has done that. Today, although not entirely recovered, she lives a reasonably full life, and they continue to support each other in every way.
When Mark ran for Senate, he was equally determined to go on with the work Gabby had begun as a member of Congress.
Few people are more dedicated to the ideals of America and the principles of the Constitution than Mark Kelly.
As for Pete Hegseth, well, the less said the better.
The contrast between Mark Kelly and Pete “Whiskeyleaks” Hegseth or Donald “Bonespurs” Trump couldn’t be larger.
The social media announcement put out by Hegseth’s “Department of War” mentioned “serious allegations of misconduct” against Kelly, suggesting that Kelly could be recalled to active duty “for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures.”
This is a dangerous move — almost as dangerous as putting federal troops into American cities over the objections of their mayors and governors or killing sailors on vessels in international waters because they’re “suspected” of smuggling drugs.
Trump likes military tribunals because they don’t require the same extent of due process as regular trials — and Trump has shown his contempt for due process.
In the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump called for those he perceives to be his enemies to be prosecuted in military tribunals. He said former representative Liz Cheney was “guilty of treason” because she participated in the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Kelly has posted:
“When I was 22 years old, I commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy and swore an oath to the Constitution. I upheld that oath through flight school, multiple deployments on the USS Midway, 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm, test pilot school, four space shuttle flights at NASA, and every day since I retired—which I did after my wife Gabby was shot in the head while serving her constituents.
“In combat, I had a missile blow up next to my jet and flew through anti-aircraft fire to drop bombs on enemy targets. At NASA, I launched on a rocket, commanded the space shuttle, and was part of the recovery mission that brought home the bodies of my astronaut classmates who died on Columbia. I did all of this in service to this country that I love and has given me so much.
“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.
“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 refuses to be silenced by a disreputable secretary of defense and a twice-impeached occupant of the Oval Office who’s been convicted of 34 felonies.
I believe Mark Kelly would make an excellent president.
- Robert Reich is a professor of public policy at Berkeley and former secretary of labor. His writings can be found at https://robertreich.substack.com/.
- Robert Reich’s new memoir, Coming Up Short, can be found wherever you buy books. You can also support local bookstores nationally by ordering the book at bookshop.org
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