Fox News host Jesse Watters on Monday reportedly applauded the Department of Defense for launching an investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who may face recall to active duty and even a court-martial after appearing in a video urging military members to refuse “illegal” orders under President Donald Trump.
“This is what we expect from Donald Trump 2.0,” Watters said on The Five. “I’m glad the U.S. military is now investigating this guy Kelly because you can’t have the deep state interfering with a duly elected presidency and get away with it. You gotta draw the line in the sand, and you have to make examples out of people.”
Fox News host Kennedy agreed, saying Kelly may have violated the military’s version of the “FAFO doctrine” — “F** Around, Find Out.”*
“These people aren’t civilians,” Kennedy said. “They’ve sworn an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, and they know what that means better than we civilians do. But they make a video like this trying to make a plea to people in the armed forces, and what they’re really trying to do is imply that things you might disagree with are illegal.”
Kennedy added that even if civilians have philosophical disagreements about U.S. actions — such as strikes on drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean — service members understand the difference between a lawful order and a political objection. She said every military member she’s spoken with is “disgusted” by the Democrats’ video, which many see as an attempt to sow confusion and undermine discipline.
The Pentagon announced Monday that it had opened a formal inquiry into Kelly, a retired Navy captain and former astronaut.
“The Department of War has received serious allegations of misconduct against Captain Mark Kelly, USN (Ret.),” the statement said, using the non-statutory historical name preferred by the Trump administration. The Pentagon noted that under 10 U.S.C. § 688, retired officers can be recalled to active duty for court-martial.
The Pentagon also reminded the public that 18 U.S.C. § 2387 makes it a federal crime to attempt to interfere with the loyalty or morale of U.S. armed forces — the exact accusation facing Kelly and the five other Democrats who appeared alongside him in the video.
“Military retirees remain subject to the UCMJ,” the statement warned, adding that “any violations will be addressed through appropriate legal channels.”
President Trump blasted Kelly and the other lawmakers earlier, saying on Truth Social that they “should be in jail right now” for encouraging troops to question command authority.
Kelly responded defiantly, saying, “I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”
But the Pentagon’s message was unmistakable: no one — including retired officers turned politicians — is free to undermine the chain of command or attempt to influence military obedience for political purposes.
[READ MORE: House Ethics Committee Investigates Rep. Mike Collins and Chief of Staff — Collins Calls Probe “Bogus Attack”]
