Hegseth moves to censure Sen Mark Kelly, review his retirement rank and pay over 'seditious video'
EXCLUSIVE: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., will receive a formal censure letter and that he has directed Secretary of the Navy John Phelan to review the retired Navy captain's retirement rank and pay and provide a recommendation in 45 days, sharply escalating an investigation alleging he made "seditious statements" that undermined military operations.

"Six weeks ago, Senator Mark Kelly — and five other members of Congress — released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline," Hegseth said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice. And the Department of War — and the American people — expect justice."
The review could result in a downgrade of Kelly's rank at which he officially retired. As a result, his retirement pay, which is tied to rank, may also be reduced
Kelly fired back by calling the move "outrageous" and "un-American."
"If Pete Hegseth, the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in our country’s history, thinks he can intimidate me with a censure or threats to demote me or prosecute me, he still doesn’t get it," Kelly said. "I will fight this with everything I’ve got — not for myself, but to send a message back that Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump don’t get to decide what Americans in this country get to say about their government
A censure letter will also be issued outlining the "totality of Captain Kelly’s reckless misconduct," Hegseth said.
Such a letter typically calls out figures for wrongdoing and can be used to justify reductions in rank, pay or benefits. It also serves as an official warning that future misconduct could result in harsher consequences
"This Censure is a necessary process step, and will be placed in Captain Kelly’s official and permanent military personnel file," Hegseth said.
The department added that Kelly’s status as a sitting U.S. senator "does not exempt him from accountability, and further violations could result in further action."
Kelly was notified of the basis for the actions and has 30 days to submit a response, according to Hegseth.
A current Army officer and national security official praised the administration's decision in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday.
"It is encouraging to see an administration hold former military officers accountable for their actions," the official said. "We never stop serving, and it is a reminder that one cannot use their political position, absent their military oath, to encourage subversion. Oaths matter, and they do not end when you exit the ranks. CAPT Kelly crossed a line he would have prosecuted subordinates for if he was still in uniform."
The department added that such actions against Kelly are based on his public statements from June through December 2025, in which he "characterized lawful military operations as illegal and encouraged members of the Armed Forces to refuse lawful orders."
This comes after a group of Democratic lawmakers with military and intelligence backgrounds – Kelly, Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, and Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, and Jason Crow of Colorado – released a video directed at service members and intelligence officers stating: "Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders."
All the lawmakers in the video highlighted their former service in the military and intelligence community.
Members in the video had worked to limit Trump’s ability to deploy National Guard members domestically or launch military action against suspected narco-terrorists without congressional approval. However, none of that context appears in the video, titled "Don’t Give Up the Ship." Instead, the video framed the appeal as a warning to military members to "stand up for our laws" and "refuse unlawful orders."
Fox News Digital's Rachel Wolf and Madison Colombo contributed to this report.
Omg At 18, Barron Trump FINALLY Admits What We All Suspected…see more
At 18, Barron Trump FINALLY Admits What We All Suspected…

Born into unimaginable wealth yet shielded from its most corrosive effects, Barron Trump’s upbringing was carefully engineered by Melania Trump to emphasize humility over entitlement. Far from the caricature many expected of a former president’s son, he moved through elite schools—Columbia Grammar, St. Andrew’s Episcopal, and Oxbridge Academy—not as a tabloid spectacle but as a reserved, observant student learning to navigate a world already judging him. His 2024 graduation quietly marked the end of a childhood lived in the crosshairs of politics and media.
Behind the scenes, his strongest anchor has remained his mother. Melania’s insistence on privacy, manners, and multilingual education—French, Slovenian, and English—gave Barron a cultural depth unusual for someone born into such a polarized dynasty. Compassionate and intelligent by those who know him, he now stands at a crossroads: burdened by a last name that divides a nation, yet equipped with the inner calm and values to define himself on his own terms.

Born into unimaginable wealth yet shielded from its most corrosive effects, Barron Trump’s upbringing was carefully engineered by Melania Trump to emphasize humility over entitlement. Far from the caricature many expected of a former president’s son, he moved through elite schools—Columbia Grammar, St. Andrew’s Episcopal, and Oxbridge Academy—not as a tabloid spectacle but as a reserved, observant student learning to navigate a world already judging him. His 2024 graduation quietly marked the end of a childhood lived in the crosshairs of politics and media.
Behind the scenes, his strongest anchor has remained his mother. Melania’s insistence on privacy, manners, and multilingual education—French, Slovenian, and English—gave Barron a cultural depth unusual for someone born into such a polarized dynasty. Compassionate and intelligent by those who know him, he now stands at a crossroads: burdened by a last name that divides a nation, yet equipped with the inner calm and values to define himself on his own terms.
Melania Trump admits that she tested positive for…See more

Melania Trump Sparks Major Concern After Personal Update Leaves Supporters Talking
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA — Former First Lady Melania Trump is once again drawing widespread public attention after a personal update connected to her name began circulating online, leaving supporters and social media users speculating about what may be going on behind the scenes.
The viral headline quickly gained traction across Facebook, X, and other social platforms, where thousands of users shared emotional reactions and asked for clarity. Although the wording offered little immediate detail, that ambiguity appeared to be exactly what made the story spread so rapidly.
Within hours, Melania Trump’s name had become the center of a broader online conversation, with many people expressing concern, curiosity, and a desire to understand the full context behind the headline.
For a figure like Melania Trump — someone who has maintained both high visibility and striking privacy — even a small or vague update can quickly turn into a major public story.
That tension between mystery and fame has long defined her public image.
Unlike many political spouses who remain constantly present in the media, Melania has often taken a quieter, more controlled approach to public life. Throughout her years in the White House and beyond, she has remained a figure who attracts enormous attention while revealing relatively little of her personal world.
That reserved style has only deepened public fascination.

Whenever her name appears in a dramatic or emotionally framed headline, audiences tend to react quickly — not only because of who she is, but because people feel they know so little about what she is truly thinking or experiencing.
That appears to be exactly what happened this time.
Social media users immediately began speculating about the meaning behind the viral wording. Some assumed the update might involve health, family, or a private personal matter. Others suggested it could simply be another case of a vague internet headline designed to trigger concern without providing real context.
Either way, the emotional reaction was immediate.
“I really hope she’s okay,” one user commented beneath a widely shared post. “Melania is always so private that any headline like this instantly feels serious.”
Another wrote, “You never really know what’s going on with her because she stays out of the spotlight so much. That’s why people react so strongly.”
That reaction says a great deal about Melania Trump’s unusual place in American public life
She remains one of the most recognizable women in the country, yet also one of the least publicly accessible. Her image is familiar to millions, but her inner life remains largely shielded. In an age of constant oversharing, that kind of distance has become both rare and intriguing.
As a result, public curiosity about her has remained intense even after her time in the White House.
Whether appearing at formal events, being photographed in rare public moments, or simply being mentioned in connection with the Trump family, Melania often generates attention disproportionate to how often she actually speaks or appears.
That is a powerful kind of visibility — one built not on constant presence, but on selective appearances and public mystery.

Media analysts say this kind of figure is especially vulnerable to viral speculation in the digital age. Because the public has so little routine access to her thoughts or personal updates, even a small hint of something serious can quickly trigger major interest.
In many ways, the internet fills in the silence.
That silence has often shaped how Melania is perceived. Supporters view her as graceful, composed, and dignified. Critics sometimes interpret her distance differently. But across both camps, there is a shared recognition that she remains a uniquely compelling public figure — someone whose minimal words often generate maximal discussion.
That dynamic helps explain why this latest headline spread so quickly.
At the same time, the story has also sparked criticism of the way emotionally loaded content is often packaged online. Many users pointed out that headlines built around suspense and omission can create unnecessary anxiety, especially when they involve well-known public figures.
“It’s exhausting,” one commenter wrote. “These headlines are made to make people panic before they even know what the story is.”
Others echoed that frustration, saying that internet culture increasingly rewards emotional bait over factual clarity. In stories involving people like Melania Trump, that can create a distorted picture long before any real information is available.
Still, amid the confusion, one thing became very clear: people remain deeply interested in Melania Trump.
That interest goes beyond politics alone.
For some, she represents elegance and restraint in a chaotic media age. For others, she remains a symbol of one of the most unusual chapters in recent American political history. And for many, she simply continues to be someone whose life feels partly hidden — which makes every update seem larger than it might otherwise be.
That fascination has not faded.
If anything, her lower public profile in recent years may have made her even more compelling to the public imagination. The less she says, the more people speculate. The fewer appearances she makes, the more attention each one receives.
And when a headline suddenly suggests something personal or concerning, the reaction becomes almost inevitable.
Supporters continued to flood social media with messages of encouragement, while others called for patience and restraint until clearer details emerge. That more measured response has helped temper some of the speculation, but it has not slowed public curiosity.
For now, much of the conversation remains focused on concern, mystery, and the emotional pull of uncertainty.
Whatever the full context behind the viral headline may ultimately be, the reaction itself has already revealed something significant: Melania Trump still commands extraordinary attention in American culture.
And she does so not by saying more — but often by saying less.
That is a rare kind of influence.
In today’s media landscape, where visibility is usually driven by constant output, Melania’s continued relevance is built on something quieter but no less powerful: absence, intrigue, and the public’s enduring desire to understand what remains unsaid.