Hegseth Calls 'Seditious Six' Video a 'Politically‑Motivated Influence Operation'; Pentagon Opens Probe

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday criticized a recently released video in which six Democratic lawmakers urged U.S. service members and intelligence personnel to refuse unlawful orders, calling it a "politically‑motivated influence operation" that sows doubt within the armed forces.

“The despicable video urging troops to ‘refuse illegal orders’ may seem harmless to civilians — but it carries a different weight inside the military. It never named a specific ‘illegal order.’ It created ambiguity rather than clarity,” Hegseth wrote on the social platform X. “It used carefully scripted, legal‑sounding language. It subtly reframed military obedience around partisan distrust instead of established legal processes.”

The video, released last week, featured Democratic Sens. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Mark Kelly (Ariz.), and Democratic Reps. Chris Deluzio (Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (N.H.), Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.) and Jason Crow (Colo.). All six have served in the military or in intelligence roles. In the clip, they advised troops and intelligence personnel that they should not follow unlawful orders from the administration.

Republican lawmakers and administration officials responded sharply. Former President Donald Trump called the lawmakers “traitors” and accused them of “seditious behavior.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president wants the lawmakers to face consequences but explicitly stated he does not support executing members of Congress. Several lawmakers who appeared in the video have reported receiving threats since the incident.

The Pentagon announced it had opened an inquiry into "serious allegations of misconduct" related to Sen. Mark Kelly's participation in the video. Kelly said the investigation appears intended to intimidate and that it will not silence him. "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 said in a statement.

Hegseth reiterated concerns that vague political rhetoric can undermine trust, create hesitation in the chain of command and erode unit cohesion. He emphasized that the military already has established procedures for handling unlawful orders and argued that partisan messaging risks injecting dangerous ambiguity into those processes.

In a later social post, Hegseth criticized Sen. Kelly’s display of military decorations, saying the medals were worn "out of order" and joking that a recall to active duty would start with a uniform inspection.

Context

The exchange highlights the tension between elected officials who served in uniform and current defense leadership over how political speech addressing troops should be framed. Officials on both sides say they are defending the integrity of the military and its legal processes; the Pentagon’s inquiry into Kelly signals the issue will be examined further.