A Washington, D.C. Grand Jury has rejected the Trump administration's request to indict six Democrats who advocated for service members to disobey orders from Commander-in-Chief Donald Trump if they felt that they might be illegal.
🚨 BREAKING: A DC Grand Jury has just REFUSED to indict Sen. Mark Kelly, Elissa Slotkin, and other Democrats who called for members of the military to REFUSE orders from President Trump
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 11, 2026
Mark Kelly needs to be COURT MARTIALED instead.
Leftists have poisoned jury pools, telling… pic.twitter.com/3WHQ8sHLtw
The Department of Justice sought indictments against Reps. Jason Crow (CO-06), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), as well as Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).
Federal prosecutors argued that the six Democrats made statements that compromised the loyalty and discipline of the American military, but jurors in a city that voted 93 percent for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election disagreed with the administration’s argument.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has taken action to demote and reduce the retirement pay of Kelly for the political stunt, as well as censuring the senator for “reckless conduct.”
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. As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he…
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) January 5, 2026
Recommended
BOOM! PETE HEGSETH JUST STRUCK BACK HARD
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) February 8, 2026
"urging active-duty troops to refuse President Trump’s illegal orders"
Sec of War Hegseth demoted retired Navy Captain Mark Kelly's rank and slashed his pension - consequences for pushing troops to defy lawful orders from the president. pic.twitter.com/meYrCZzlFW
“These actions are based on Captain Kelly's public statements from June through December 2025 in which he characterized lawful military operations as illegal and counseled members of the Armed Forces to refuse lawful orders,” Hegseth said in a statement.
The demotion and pay cut is being contested by Kelly in court.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy Townhall’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member