President Donald Trump's Pentagon chief announced plans to demote US Senator Mark Kelly from his rank as a retired Navy captain.
According to Reuters, Pentagon on Monday, January 5, unveiled plans to punish Kelly for alleged "reckless misconduct" after he and other Democratic lawmakers urged troops to refuse any illegal orders.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon has begun proceedings that would ultimately slash Kelly's retirement pay and attach a letter of censure to his military record.
Kelly, who represents Arizona in the Senate, is a decorated military veteran and former NASA astronaut.
Kelly said he would "fight this with everything I've got."
"Pete Hegseth wants to send the message to every single retired servicemember that if they say something he or Donald Trump doesn't like, they will come after them the same way. It's outrageous and it is wrong. There is nothing more un-American than that," Kelly said in a statement on X.
Kelly could face additional measures in the future depending on his actions, Hegseth said in a statement on X.
The steps announced by Hegseth represent the latest actions taken by the Trump administration targeting critics of the Republican president. Democrats and other critics have accused Trump of seeking to stifle dissent.
