Wednesday, February 25, 2026-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reignited a high‑stakes legal and political fight by appealing a federal judge’s decision that blocked efforts to punish Sen. Mark Kelly (D‑Ariz.) over his participation in a video urging U.S. service members to resist unlawful orders. In a court filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Hegseth’s team argued the Pentagon must retain authority to discipline military retirees when national security interests are at stake.
The clash has plunged into the national spotlight, intensifying political tensions just weeks after a grand jury declined to indict Kelly and other Democratic lawmakers who appeared in the controversial video. Judge Richard Leon had blocked the Pentagon from demoting Kelly’s retired rank and cutting his pension, saying the attempt likely violated Kelly’s First Amendment rights and threatened constitutional protections for millions of military retirees. Kelly slammed the appeal as an attack on free speech, stating his critics “don’t know when to quit” and framing the Pentagon’s action as a broader attempt to silence dissent.
The revived push puts Hegseth at odds not only with Kelly but with civil liberties advocates and legal experts who warn the case could set a precedent for how far political figures can go in using military authority against critics. With the appeals process just beginning, the outcome could shape debates over military discipline, free speech, and the balance of civilian oversight in unprecedented ways — making this one of the most watched legal battles of the year.
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