Skip to main content
2 min read

Kelly says he'll 'do everything in my power' to stop demotion threat

Hegseth backed away from court-martial threats but said he had censured Kelly and begun proceedings to demote him.

Kelly says he'll 'do everything in my power' to stop demotion threat
Image · Yahoo News

SOURCE CHECK

TAP FOR WHY
Host credibilityYahoo News74/100 HIGH
This article1 analysis · Oct 11, 2026

Credibility rates Yahoo News, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.

Republished with credit

Republished from USA Today, with credit to the original publisher.

USA Today80/100 HIGH

21 stories · 79–81 · updated Oct 11, 2026

This is USA Today's own score, and this article is credited to USA Today. The host score in the Source Check is Yahoo News's.

Yahoo Newsvia USA Today
Jan 6, 2026
tl;dr

Mark Kelly said he would fight Pentagon proceedings to demote him in retirement after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth censured him. Kelly argued the dispute also concerns freedom of speech.

Community verdict

24 VOTES
How does this story look for
Pete Hegseth R · Secretary of Defense

Counts every outlet’s report of this story. See all 40

● OPEN
Votes cast on this page

Votes cast on this page: ▲ 0 · ◆ 0 · ▼ 0

People in this story

SWIPE →
Pete Hegseth
R · Secretary of Defense

Defense secretary who censured Kelly and began administrative proceedings to demote him

PRIMARY SUBJECT
Mark Kelly
D · AZ · SEN

Senator responding to the Pentagon’s proceedings to demote him in retirement

Kelly's version of this story ↗
Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President whose comments about the lawmakers and Kelly are recounted

ALSO MENTIONED  John Phelan, Navy secretary who decides the retired rank of officers below vice admiral

Part of a bigger story

38 OUTLETS
Hegseth Censures Sen. Mark Kelly Over Troop-Orders Video

Outlets report that Hegseth issued a censure to Sen. Mark Kelly and opened proceedings that could reduce his retired military rank or pay. The action followed Kelly’s participation in a video urging service members to refuse unlawful orders. Left-leaning outlets largely cast the action as punishment for Kelly’s speech and a bid to silence him. Center outlets emphasize the censure and possible consequences while presenting Kelly’s response and, in some reports, legal or political questions. Right-leaning outlets, especially PJ Media, frame the proceedings as accountability for statements they portray as harmful to military discipline.

Discussion · 0

What's your take?

Loading comments…