After Trump's threat: Pentagon investigates senator
US President Donald Trump was furious when Democrats in Congress published a video statement that the military should refuse to carry out "illegal orders".
Now the Pentagon has launched an investigation into Mark Kelly, one of the members.
In a statement published on social media, the Pentagon refers to a federal law that means that retired military personnel can be called back to active duty by order of the Secretary of Defense if it concerns a possible case for trial by military court or through other measures.
Kelly served as a fighter pilot and later became an astronaut. When he retired from the military, he had reached the rank of captain.
Extremely unusual
That the Pentagon, which until Trump's second term had been keen to act and appear apolitical, is threatening a sitting congressman through an investigation is extremely unusual.
The statement from the Pentagon claims that Kelly's comments in the video clip infringe on "the loyalty, morale or order and discipline of the armed forces".
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth writes in a post on his personal X account:
"Kelly's conduct is a discredit to the armed forces and will be addressed in an appropriate manner."
"Punishable by death"
In the video clip in question, Mark Kelly and the five other Democrats in Congress, all veterans, US military and intelligence employees, urged "refuse to carry out illegal orders".
- No one must carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution, they said, among other things.
A few days after it was published, Trump commented on the proceedings in threatening terms via his Truth Social platform.
“Lock them up???,” Trump wrote, continuing in another post:
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