The American Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, announced the demotion of Senator Mark Kelly from the rank of captain in the reserves for actions deemed illegal.

Pete Hegseth, the American Secretary of Defense, announced that Senator Mark Kelly will be demoted from his reserve captain rank in the Navy, as a result of "improper reckless conduct." Kelly, along with other Democratic congressmen, urged troops to refuse illegal orders, which generated strong reactions from the administration.

Hegseth mentioned that Kelly will suffer a reduction in his pension and will receive a letter of reprimand, and other measures may be taken in the future. Although the measure is severe, it is considered milder than the Trump administration's threat to recall Kelly to active duty for seditious behavior. Kelly and his colleagues argue that they merely reminded about legality, in the context of concerns regarding attack orders against drug traffickers. Hegseth characterized Kelly's actions as seditious, and Trump accused the Democrats of sedition, a serious offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.