Sen. Mark Kelly Calls Trump and Defense Secretary 'Not Serious' as Military-Video Probe Widens

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) on Sunday blasted President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as "not serious people" after the pair criticized a video in which Kelly and several other Democratic veterans and former intelligence officials urged service members to refuse unlawful orders. Kelly made the remarks on NBC News' "Meet the Press," saying the president "thinks he can bully and intimidate people" but that he will not be silenced when holding officials accountable for what he described as "wrong and unlawful" actions.

Defense Department officials recently said they were reopening an inquiry into Kelly after President Trump accused lawmakers who appeared in the video of "seditious behavior," language the president later softened in an interview with conservative radio host Brian Kilmeade.

The short video featured Democratic lawmakers who are military veterans or former intelligence officers urging active-duty personnel to decline any orders that would violate the law or the Constitution. The lawmakers did not cite specific orders; Kelly said the message was forward-looking — aimed at preventing unlawful commands rather than alleging any already had been issued.

Kelly pointed to past statements by Trump — including a 2016 debate remark in which the then-candidate said, "If I say do it, they're gonna do it" and suggested the military would follow his orders even if they violated international law — as part of the reason for caution. He also referenced a separate comment earlier this year in which Trump suggested using "dangerous" U.S. cities as "training grounds," which Kelly said raised additional concerns about how orders might be interpreted under the current administration.

The FBI has sought to schedule interviews with six Democratic lawmakers who appeared in the video, including Sen. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Representatives Jason Crow (Colo.), Chris Deluzio (Pa.) and Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.), along with Sen. Kelly and other participants.

In response, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement that Democrats "were unable to list any examples of unlawful orders when asked — because there have been none," warning that urging troops to defy the chain of command could undermine lawful civilian control of the military. Hegseth posted on X that the lawmakers' video was "despicable, reckless, and false." Kelly called Hegseth "the least qualified secretary of defense in the history of our country by far."

Kelly told CNN he first learned of the Navy's inquiry into his conduct via a tweet rather than formal notification, saying, "I was notified about this through a tweet, the same tweet that you saw, and that demonstrates how unserious this administration is." He added that the public spectacle suggested the administration cared more about publicity than due process.

Kelly, a former Navy officer, said he had never doubted the legality of orders he carried out and that service members should be able to distinguish lawful from unlawful commands and refuse illegal ones if necessary. He also addressed reporting that Hegseth ordered a Navy SEAL team to "kill everybody" on a vessel suspected of carrying drugs to the United States earlier this year, calling for an investigation and accountability. Both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have launched inquiries into that reporting and related actions.

The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to requests for comment.