U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth moved to sanction Kelly, a former astronaut, after Kelly took part in a November 2025 video amid rising criticism of the Trump administration's deployment of the National Guard in U.S. cities and authorization of lethal strikes on suspected Latin American drug smuggling boats. In the clip, Kelly stated: “Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders.”
The government's lawyer told the appeals court on Thursday that the Constitution does not protect speech by military officers who urge disobedience to lawful orders, even if the officer is retired.
"It's very clear that this is about a pattern and totality of conduct, not any one line or any one statement taken in isolation," Justice Department lawyer John Bailey told the court.
Retired officers remain part of the armed forces, are subject to recall to active duty and can influence service members, the Trump administration argued.
Kelly’s lawyers countered that the Pentagon’s actions amounted to retaliation against protected political speech on matters of public concern.
"The punishments imposed on Senator Kelly are textbook retaliation against disfavored speech," Kelly's lawyer, Benjamin Mizer, argued to the appeals court. "The censure letter says on its face that it's targeting the Senator for his public statements."

>>1512873
> “Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders.”
> The government's lawyer told the appeals court on Thursday that the Constitution does not protect speech by military officers who urge disobedience to lawful orders
You can’t make this shit up.

Why would he be punished?

>>1512882
Orange Autocrat

When is Pete Hegseth going to resign from his post for saying the same thing they're going after Kelly for now?
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cZCTsNSm2xw

>>1512882
he's basically insinuating orders are unlawful by default and to railroad/stall and not follow any.
when the way it works is you do what you're ordered then courts check afterwards if its illegal

>>1512900
No, he’s not.

>>1512900
>when the way it works is you do what you're ordered then courts check afterwards if its illegal
This literally defeats the whole point of the "Do not obey illegal orders" part of their code lmao. Does boot leather really taste that good?

>>1512912
and how do you determine if its illegal? your fucking fairy god mother? imagine a world where you needed confirmation from the courts before being able to take any action. its not my fault ur an illiterate retard
>>1512908
ya he is he's insinuating its all illegal.

>>1512937
>ya he is he's insinuating its all illegal.
No he's not and all he said was "do not obey illegal orders" which is in the code.

>and how do you determine if its illegal? your fucking fairy god mother?
There are certain orders that literally cannot be legal. For example; deliberate mass killing of civilians. Or say, execution of stranded sailors.

You do understand under the "do it first, ask questions later" logic the president can literally order the deaths of his political opponents and then any judges who would hear the case, right? That's not how any of this works.

>>1512937
>ya he is he's insinuating its all illegal.
Fucking how? Tell me.

>>1512941
>deliberate mass killing of civilians. Or say, execution of stranded sailors.
wow so clear and obvious amazing amazing,
now tell me when trump gives orders like that and not things that are borderline.
are you fucking stupid?

>>1512949
>now tell me when trump gives orders like that
That already happened. It's what prompted Kelly and Co. to make that video.

>>1512949
Bombing schools and fishing boats are both clearly illegal. If you receive an order to bomb one of those examples it is your duty to not follow that order

>>1512951
terrorist hideouts and drug boats anon. its not hard to make a case for it.
"both clearly illegal" are you fucking for real?
Oh so i guess everyone should just hideout in a school from now on whenever a war happens all military and members of command should go there because schools are now literal sanctuaries.

>>1512952
>its not hard to make a case for it.
And? It's still illegal. Don't do illegal things.
>all military and members of command should go there because schools are now literal sanctuaries.
That would also be illegal. Don't do illegal things.

>>1512952
>are you fucking for real?
Liggerals haven't been "for real" for almost a decade now.

>>1512952
Why don't they make a case for this one by releasing the footage?
https://courthousenews.com/hegseth-clips-congressional-wings-in-probe-of-double-tap-venezuela-boat-strike/

>>1512952
doesn't west point say those things are illegal?

>>1512884
TDS. Seek professional help, you are not well.

>>1512952
>terrorist hideouts
The school was literally not a terrorist hideout. The admin isn't even claiming that, nutbag.
>drug boats
1. Executing drug runners is illegal actually
2. Executing stranded sailors is double illegal

>>1512964
How much is gas by you or do you just never leave the house?

>>1512986
ESL shill

>>1512952
Places of worship are sanctuaries. I think the problem is that the US and Israel don't want to follow the etiquette of combat, and they aren't willing to admit it.
But yes if an enemy runs inside a place of worship they are entitled to sanctuary.

>>1512952
people don't sign up for the military to bomb little girls anon

>>1512987
you can't admit you were wrong because you're a retard.

gas is over 4.50$/gal on average. in may of 2023 under joe biden it was 3.55$/gal. 2024? 3.60$/gal.

that sounds like picking a fight with iran had a direct economic outcome in the form of gas prices rises on average by a dollar a gallon more. that's not trump derangement syndrome. that's basic economics. something people that don't understand basic biology wouldn't be able to understand.

yall cried about the cost of groceries under joe biden, but now you don't care?

that's not trump derrangement syndrome. that's republican hypocrisy.

>>1512952
I know you mentioned sanctuaries to move past sanctuaries. How many synagogues, churches, and mosques has Iran targeted in this war?

>>1512952
>terrorist hideouts and drug boats anon. its not hard to make a case for it.
Proof?

The boat strikes were hitting civilians who weren't drug dealers.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/apr/21/ecuador-us-boat-strike-survivors
https://www.commondreams.org/news/boat-strike-survivors
https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2026/04/14/ecuadorian-tuna-fishing-vessels-rescued-crew-claims-drone-attack/

>>1512991
and you'll be spared from future 9/11s and october 7 attacks is your life worth so little you'd put it under a dollar?
ahh the democrat hypocrisy is amazing.
Eggs were 15$ per dozen under joe biden but funny how you ignore that
and now they're back to normal prices

>>1513015
God you're esl

>>1513015
>and you'll be spared from future 9/11s and october 7 attacks is your life worth so little you'd put it under a dollar?
Holy fucking ESL

>>1513012
And wouldn't the cartels force people to work on those boat?

>>1513035
Let’s see some proofs

>>1513035
ESL moment

>>1512912
No it doesn't make any sense.
This is what happens when you partially base military law on a farcical kangaroo court. Of course no servicemen is going to ever refuse illegal orders, they have no recourse because the governing bodies that do are thousands of miles away and not on their side anyway. There's no such thing as an illegal order, it's a nice story told to make people think that it's possible to have a moral army that participates in wars of aggression.