Pete Hegseth orders US navy to investigate Mark Kelly's comments
Hegseth directed the Navy secretary to review comments by Kelly and other lawmakers and report back to him.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYYahoo News is an established national news platform, and this article identifies its authors and attributes key claims to named officials and lawmakers. The text does not establish the outlet’s correction practices or the extent of original reporting for this story.
- Source type — Established national news platform, though its pages may include both original and partner journalism.
- Author attribution — Two authors are named.
- Editorial standards — The article attributes claims and quotations to identifiable sources; detailed standards are not demonstrated here.
- Transparency — The article identifies the officials and lawmakers whose statements it reports, but offers limited information about the reporting process.
The report gives a clear account of the order and investigation and includes statements from both the administration and the lawmakers. It provides little detail about the legal basis for the review or the administration’s rationale beyond the stated concern about potentially unlawful comments.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The report presents the government’s investigation and order alongside substantial responses from the lawmakers. It does not explain the administration’s reasoning in detail or include an independent legal perspective.
- Counterarguments presented — Lawmakers dispute the investigation and describe it as intimidation; the Pentagon’s stated concerns are also reported.
- Source diversity — Includes statements from government agencies and several lawmakers, but no independent expert or outside source.
- Omitted context — Does not detail the legal basis for the investigation or provide the administration’s fuller response.
- Loaded language — Some critical language appears, but most charged descriptions are attributed to speakers.
The article reports the order and investigation in largely descriptive language and attributes critical characterizations to the lawmakers who made them. It gives the administration’s actions and the lawmakers’ responses without adopting either side’s claims as fact.
- Language tone — Mostly reportorial; the phrase “escalated attacks” is mildly critical but does not dominate the account.
- Source selection — Includes the order and Pentagon statements as well as responses from Kelly, Slotkin and the lawmakers’ group.
- Framing — Frames the matter as a dispute and attributes accusations to the people making them.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered Navy Secretary John Phelan to review Sen. Mark Kelly’s comments in a video urging service members to refuse unlawful orders. The order follows a Pentagon inquiry and accusations by Donald Trump, escalating a dispute over the lawmakers and federal scrutiny.
Pete Hegseth ordered Navy Secretary John Phelan to review comments made by Mark Kelly and other Democrats in a video reminding service members and intelligence officers that they may refuse unlawful orders. Hegseth requested a brief by Dec. 10, and the Pentagon had already said it was investigating Kelly for possible violations of military law. The Pentagon said a separate review of misconduct allegations could lead to Kelly being recalled to active duty and facing court-martial proceedings.
Donald Trump accused the lawmakers of “seditious behavior” and called them “traitors,” while Kelly said Trump was using the FBI to intimidate and harass members of Congress. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Chrissy Houlahan and Maggie Goodlander said the FBI had contacted congressional sergeants at arms seeking interviews. Elissa Slotkin said the FBI had notified the group of an inquiry and described it as a scare tactic.
Community verdict
14 VOTESCounts every outlet’s report of this story. See all 12
- Readers of left-leaning coverage: 55% good look
- Readers of right-leaning coverage: not enough votes yet
Votes cast on this page
Votes cast on this page: ▲ 0 · ◆ 0 · ▼ 0
People in this story
SWIPE →Defense secretary who ordered a Navy review of Kelly’s comments
Senator whose comments in a video are under investigation
Kelly's version of this story ↗Michigan congresswoman who said the FBI had notified the group of an inquiry
President who accused the lawmakers of sedition and called them traitors
Pennsylvania representative who released a statement with other lawmakers
New Hampshire representative who released a statement with other lawmakers
Pennsylvania representative who released a statement with other lawmakers
Colorado representative who released a statement with other lawmakers
Part of a bigger story
10 OUTLETS- ARTICLES
- 12
- OUTLETS
- 10
- AVG CRED
- 59
- Wonkette · Whiskeydick Pete Hegseth Court-Martialing Mark Kelly For Not Doing A Sedition
- The Independent · Mark Kelly drops brutal two-word takedown of Hegseth on Kimmel show after Defense Secretary seeks his court martial
- Latin Times · Mark Kelly Tells Kimmel Pete Hegseth Is Carrying Out Trump's 'Playbook of Authoritarianism': How Democracies Die'
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