In a video posted to X-formerly-Twitter last week, Democratic lawmakers — including senator and former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly — encouraged members of the military to “refuse illegal orders.”
“This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,” they said in the video. “Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution.”
Both president Donald Trump and the Department of Defense have since threatened Kelly — who was an aviator for the US Navy for decades and flew 39 combat missions — with everything from court-martial proceedings to public execution.
Kelly has since issued a statement rebuking the threats and forcefully arguing that he’s “upheld” his oath to the Constitution he swore after joining the US Navy at the age of 22.
“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,” he said.
The incident shows the great lengths to which the Trump administration is willing to go to justify its highly questionable military tactics in Latin America, going as far as to intimidate highly decorated veterans on the other side of the aisle, who are willing to speak up.
The news comes after experts raised legal questions over the Trump administration carrying out military strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing at least 61 people since September.
The Democrats’ video clearly angered Trump, who took a break from posting AI slop on Truth Social to condemn their message, describing it as “seditious behavior” that was “punishable by death.”
“HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD!!” read one post that he reshared during the tirade.
The overt threats against Kelly and fellow Democrats proved controversial enough for Trump to later appear on Fox News to claim that he was “not threatening death.”
Nonetheless, the Department of Defense came to the president’s support, accusing Kelly of “serious allegations of misconduct,” and threatening him with “recall to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures,” according to a Monday tweet.
“The video made by the ‘Seditious Six’ was despicable, reckless, and false,” defense secretary Pete Hegseth tweeted.
Kelly has denied any wrongdoing, pointing out that he’s dedicated much of his life to serving the US.
“In combat, I had a missile blow up next to my jet and flew through anti-aircraft fire to drop bombs on enemy targets,” he said in his statement. “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.”
“I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution,” he concluded.
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