Arizona’s Democratic senators aren’t backing down. After the Pentagon announced Monday that it is investigating Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) over a video urging service members to resist illegal orders, Kelly made it clear: intimidation won’t work.
“If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work,” Kelly wrote online. “I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”
Kelly is no stranger to serving under pressure. A Gulf War combat veteran and former naval aviator, Kelly also flew as an astronaut and retired at the rank of captain with numerous military awards. His credentials make the Pentagon’s move all the more striking.
The Pentagon’s statement, circulated on social media, cited a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty by the defense secretary for potential court-martial or other measures.
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) didn’t mince words either. “This is fucking insane. We should all point out how fucking insane this is,” he said in a video posted Monday.
“Mark Kelly is a patriot. He’s just doing his duty to remind people of their rights as service members,” Gallego added. “Secretary Hegseth, all these guys ― fuck you guys, you’re not going to be able to scare us.”
The investigation comes after Kelly and other Democratic lawmakers released a video earlier this month urging military personnel to understand their rights—prompting a furious response from the Trump administration. President Trump himself attacked the “Seditious Six,” amplifying posts saying, “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also slammed the lawmakers, calling their video “despicable, reckless, and false.” He claimed it undermined “every aspect of ‘good order and discipline.’”
While Trump and Hegseth have escalated their rhetoric, most Republican lawmakers have stayed quiet. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was one of the few to speak out, telling CBS News over the weekend that Trump’s words were “reckless, inappropriate [and] irresponsible.”
“It’s not something that is helping the country heal wounds. I think it stirs things up, and really, I think we can do better,” Paul said.
Amid the threats, which have included bomb threats against Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Kelly and Gallego’s response is defiant and unmistakable: no amount of intimidation will silence them. The message from these veterans turned lawmakers is clear—service to the country doesn’t end when you leave the military, and standing up to bullies in power is just part of the job.
Read Kelly’s complete response and check out Gallego’s video below:
Hey Pete, we won’t be intimidated. pic.twitter.com/Z1dV6Dq5xT
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) November 24, 2025
