By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-sen-kelly-says-trump-administration-out-of-control-after-judge-blocks-pentagon-punishment Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH: Sen. Kelly says Trump administration 'out of control' after judge blocks Pentagon punishment Politics Feb 12, 2026 4:23 PM EDT A federal judge agreed Thursday to temporarily block the Pentagon from punishing Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot, for participating in a video that called on troops to resist unlawful orders. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., spoke to reporters, including PBS News' Lisa Desjardins, on Thursday. Watch his remarks in the video player above. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that Pentagon officials violated Kelly's First Amendment free speech rights and "threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees." READ MORE: Judge temporarily blocks Pentagon from punishing Sen. Kelly for call to resist unlawful orders Kelly, who represents Arizona, sued in federal court to block his Jan. 5 censure from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. In November, Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers appeared on a video in which they urged troops to uphold the Constitution and not to follow unlawful military directives from the Trump administration. Republican President Donald Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition "punishable by DEATH" in a social media post days later. Hegseth said Kelly's censure was "a necessary process step" to proceedings that could result in a demotion from the senator's retired rank of captain and subsequent reduction in retirement pay. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Associated Press Associated Press
A federal judge agreed Thursday to temporarily block the Pentagon from punishing Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot, for participating in a video that called on troops to resist unlawful orders. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., spoke to reporters, including PBS News' Lisa Desjardins, on Thursday. Watch his remarks in the video player above. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that Pentagon officials violated Kelly's First Amendment free speech rights and "threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees." READ MORE: Judge temporarily blocks Pentagon from punishing Sen. Kelly for call to resist unlawful orders Kelly, who represents Arizona, sued in federal court to block his Jan. 5 censure from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. In November, Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers appeared on a video in which they urged troops to uphold the Constitution and not to follow unlawful military directives from the Trump administration. Republican President Donald Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition "punishable by DEATH" in a social media post days later. Hegseth said Kelly's censure was "a necessary process step" to proceedings that could result in a demotion from the senator's retired rank of captain and subsequent reduction in retirement pay. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now