Federal Judge Blocks Punishment for Senator Kelly
A federal judge ruled on Thursday to stop Army Secretary Pete Hegseth from imposing penalties on Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. This came in response to Kelly’s involvement in a November 2025 video that encouraged U.S. service members to disobey “unlawful orders.”
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, appointed by former President George W. Bush, issued a preliminary injunction preventing any demotion in Kelly’s military rank or reductions in his retirement benefits. This ruling marks another setback for the Trump administration in its attempts to penalize the six Democrats who featured in the video.
Leon described the Pentagon’s actions as “horse feathers,” expressing concerns that punishing Kelly represented a troubling trend in a free society. He emphasized the importance of respecting the First Amendment rights of veterans and criticized the government for not honoring those rights adequately.
In response to the ruling, Kelly told reporters that he felt the law and the Constitution supported his position. He stressed that the issue at hand extended beyond his personal experience, impacting countless veterans who feel affected by the current presidential treatment of dissent.
Senator Elissa Slotkin from Michigan, who also appeared in the video, hailed the judge’s decision as “amazing.” After warmly embracing Kelly, she remarked on how this outcome reflects a series of wins for democracy and free speech, underscoring that ordinary citizens and judges are stepping up to safeguard democratic values in ways that the president cannot.
A grand jury in Washington, D.C., recently chose not to indict the six Democratic congressmen involved in the video. Alongside Kelly and Slotkin, Representatives Jason Crow from Colorado, Chris Deluzio from Pennsylvania, and Maggie Goodlander from New Hampshire participated in the video project.
Following the failed indictment, Crow voiced his determination, stating that if they think they can intimidate or silence them, they are mistaken.
