Secretary of War Pete Hegseth sharply criticized Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., over a social media post highlighting Kelly’s military service, saying the senator “can’t even display your uniform correctly.”
Hegseth’s comments follow the Department of War’s announcement of a formal review into allegations of misconduct against Kelly tied to a video in which the senator urged service members to “refuse illegal orders.”
“So ‘Captain’ Kelly, not only did your sedition video intentionally undercut good order & discipline…but you can’t even display your uniform correctly,” Hegseth wrote in response to Kelly on X.
“Your medals are out of order & rows reversed. When/if you are recalled to active duty, it’ll start with a uniform inspection,” he added.
On Monday, Kelly posted a photo of a military uniform on X along with a detailed reflection on his service.
“When I was 22 years old, I commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy and swore an oath to the Constitution,” he wrote.
“I upheld that oath through flight school, multiple deployments on the USS Midway, 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm, test pilot school, four space shuttle flights at NASA, and every day since I retired — which I did after my wife Gabby was shot in the head while serving her constituents,” Kelly continued. “In combat, I had a missile blow up next to my jet and flew through anti-aircraft fire to drop bombs on enemy targets.”
He went on to describe his career as an astronaut.
“At NASA, I launched on a rocket, commanded the space shuttle, and was part of the recovery mission that brought home the bodies of my astronaut classmates who died on Columbia. I did all of this in service to this country that I love and has given me so much,” Kelly said.
Kelly’s office did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
The Pentagon has indicated it may recall Kelly to active duty to face potential court-martial proceedings or other administrative measures under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
“This matter will be handled in compliance with military law, ensuring due process and impartiality,” the department said, noting that additional comments would be limited to preserve the integrity of the process.
Kelly also addressed the broader implications of the investigation in his Monday statement.
“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,” he said. “I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”
