'F*ck You Guys!' Sen. Gallego Goes Nuclear On Pete Hegseth Investigating Mark Kelly
Source: MEDIAite
Nov 24th, 2025, 2:14 pm
Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) hit back at Trumps Department of Defense on Monday after it announced an investigation into Kelly, a retired Navy Captain and former astronaut, over his appearance in a public service announcement urging soldiers not to follow illegal orders. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth raged at Kelly on X while sharing the announcement.
The video made by the Seditious Six was despicable, reckless, and false. Encouraging our warriors to ignore the orders of their Commanders undermines every aspect of good order and discipline. Their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion which only puts our warriors in danger, insisted Hegseth. Hegseth added that as a retired officer, Kelly was still under his jurisdiction, unlike the other five Democrats in the video.
As was announced, the Department is reviewing his statements and actions, which were addressed directly to all troops while explicitly using his rank and service affiliationlending the appearance of authority to his words. Kellys conduct brings discredit upon the armed forces and will be addressed appropriately, added Hegseth while sharing the statement, which also threatened Kelly with a return to active duty service and a court-martial.
Gallego, a former Marine, pulled no punches in hitting back at Hegseth. This is f*cking insane. We should all just point out how f*cking insane this is. Hey, this is Ruben Gallego. Im traveling through Arizona right now, and I just received the news that the Department of Defense is starting an investigation against my seatmate, Mark Kelly, he said in a clip posted to social media, adding:
This is f*cking insane. We should just all point out how fucking insane this is. And, you know, these guys are trying to say that theyre not acting like fascists, that they are not trying to give as much power to this president as a king, and they should stop acting like it. Mark Kelly is a patriot.
Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/fck-you-guys-sen-gallego-goes-nuclear-on-pete-hegseth-investigating-mark-kelly/
Link to tweet
@RubenGallego
·
Follow
Hey Pete, we wont be intimidated.
1:41 PM · Nov 24, 2025
REFERENCE - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143571153
Chasstev365
(6,813 posts)ProudMNDemocrat
(20,419 posts)Way to go, Sen. Gallego!
Cherokee100
(420 posts)'Carry On Marine', Semper Fidelis!!!!
sop
(16,992 posts)That's some Orwellian shit.
electric_blue68
(25,104 posts)that states- soldiers do Not have to follow ILLEGAL orders!
😬
So take your crummy Christian Nationalist tattoos and go home !
TomSlick
(12,818 posts). . .
(2) having knowledge of any other lawful order issued by a member of the armed forces, which it is his duty to obey, fails to obey the order
. . .
shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
Kegsbreath is incapable of parsing the Code provision.
All service members are taught they have an obligation to not obey an unlawful order. I suspect Kegsbreath slept through that class.
Now we know why Trump fired all the Judge Advocate Generals. The replacement JAGs can probably be counted upon to not push back on Kegsbreath.
electric_blue68
(25,104 posts)Oh, yeah. I remember hearing about him firing all the then current JAGs.
ETA
Just read something in the piece Bluetus posted about Article 92 subparagraph 16c that answered the question I asked you. 👍
tonekat
(2,413 posts)Lord knows the complacent ones are worthless.
sheshe2
(95,026 posts)Lord knows the complacent ones are worthless.
mcar
(45,530 posts)I feel that every time a Democrat comes out with a strong statement, we get this response. Instead of praising Gallego, it's an excuse to slam other Democrats.
sheshe2
(95,026 posts)Paladin
(32,078 posts)God bless Mark Kelly for his service and principles. And to everlasting hell with Hegseth!
BonnieJW
(3,059 posts)who drinks. He's pretend military. Every time I see him speaking, I see a dog panting in desperation to have his master pat his head instead of kicking him.
3catwoman3
(28,248 posts)...Hegseth didn't write it. Do we really think he knows the word screed?
PSPS
(15,123 posts)Just before he was put on camera (after his makeup, of course,) he would be handed a sheaf of paper entitled "Pete's screed for the day."
3catwoman3
(28,248 posts)PSPS
(15,123 posts)Irish_Dem
(78,160 posts)He has lackeys to do his dirty work.
Irish_Dem
(78,160 posts)Trump's message is clear: Criticize Trump at your own risk.
timms139
(454 posts)that Trump was and is a loser who lied to avoid the military and is a coward . The Trump and his trash have no place giving orders to any branch of the military. Them being a cabal who's only interest is to destroy what true patroits fought and died to protect .
The Grand Illuminist
(1,949 posts)Is Kelly be stripped of his pension.
MarineCombatEngineer
(17,084 posts)the backlash would be epic!!!!
COL Mustard
(7,837 posts)We're not subject to recall for stuff like that, at least according to the barracks lawyer I just spoke to!
Disaffected
(6,041 posts)"Encouraging our warriors to ignore the orders of their Commanders.....". How the F does that equate to not obeying illegal orders??
B. S. C.
sheshe2
(95,026 posts)He is just a drama queen trying impress the boss and comes out looking like the ass he is.
Mister Ed
(6,755 posts)Hegseth and Trump are essentially declaring that they intend to issue illegal orders.
democrank
(11,997 posts)This dangerous, criminal administration MUST be brought down.
joshdawg
(2,907 posts)I immediately thought of the six republicans on the SCOTUS.
Then I read a little further.
I stand with Kelly and the other five.
I'm ex-Navy and totally agree with them.
BumRushDaShow
(163,800 posts)joshdawg
(2,907 posts)but still here every once in a while.
Uncle Joe
(63,770 posts)people on boats in International waters without any form of due process.
No declaration of war, no attempt to arrest or interdict, just cold blooded murder because we can.
Thanks for the thread BumRushDaShow
Botany
(75,969 posts)I dare Fox News to bring on Gallego and Kelly @ the same time as Hogs Breath. Those are real
patriots and fighters Hogs Breath although he was in Iraq has no clue about the real shit that Gallego
and Kelly have been through.
HariSeldon
(532 posts)...who will listen politely, then verbally run Hegseth over like an Abrams tank over a bicycle.
Blue Owl
(57,977 posts)Fuck Kegsbreath.
ananda
(34,077 posts)Period.
pfitz59
(12,134 posts)how many ethical troops will say 'no'?
AllaN01Bear
(28,123 posts)i am an american who has had it up to u know what.

StarryNite
(11,934 posts)Blue Owl
(57,977 posts)20 years in jail, that is....
red dog 1
(32,186 posts)And from his wife, a former House member who survived an assassination attemptâ¦
— Route60Plus (@route60plus.bsky.social) 2025-11-24T20:58:49.149Z
BidenRocks
(2,551 posts)Mike Flynn and every other Russian asset!
You too Gabbard and Stein.
You all had dinner with Putin.
We will not have a Gerald Ford moment of pardons for healing.
I want trials and then executions/Supermax!
As Chump said, Examples must be made!
Bluetus
(1,988 posts)Let us be clear. Every citizen has a right to speak the truth under the First Amendment. Active duty soldiers may have that right restricted by the UCMJ. And this may apply to Kelly as retired receiving pension benefits, which is why they are only going against Kelly and not the other 5 who discharged before earning a pension. Nonetheless, Kelly did nothing in violation of UCMJ.
The issue here has nothing to do with rights, other than free speech. The issue is RESPONSIBILITIES. Everybody on active duty IS subject to UCMJ, and Article 92 of the UCMJ requires service members to obey lawful orders and disobey unlawful ones. It is a requirement, a responsibility, not a right.
This article summarizes the practicalities ofArticle 92.
https://mattbarrylaw.com/2024/11/10/unlawful-orders-in-the-military/
Evolve Dammit
(21,350 posts)Thunderbeast
(3,729 posts)Judgement at Nuremberg (1961)
The recent film "Nuremberg" follows the same topic from a different trial.
In both cases, the allies (aka The Victors) decreed that "following orders" is not a defense for committing war crimes.
gfarber
(160 posts)There once was a DoD claim
That an astronaut stepped out of frame.
A PSA plea
Sparked a Pentagon spree,
And an inquiry swiftly became.
A secretary sounded off quick,
Calling six in a video seditious and slick.
He said Kellys display
Led the troops astray
A charge meant to seriously stick.
He warned that the captain, retired,
Still fell under rules once hed wired.
With a pointed remark,
He insisted the spark
Could bring actions the brass had required.
A senator traveling the state
Heard the news and declared it not great.
With language quite raw,
He expressed his deep awe
At what he called moves of the state.
Two lawmakers stood in a bind,
Accusations and warnings aligned.
With passions aflare
In the public square,
They argued what duty defined.
The Pentagon suddenly said,
Hey, Kellys gone wild in the head!
A PSA note
Made officials emote
Now theyre hunting his rank like it fled.
Hegseth hopped onto X in a rage,
Like a bard whod been booed off the stage.
He declared with great might
That the videos sight
Was seditiousand not for his age.
He warned, We can call him back in!
Yes, active-dutybegin!
Imagine the scene:
An astronaut Marine
Reporting while wearing a grin.
Gallego was driving along,
When the news hit him terribly wrong.
Are you kidding me, guys?
This is nuts! he replies
And he basically sang it in song.
So the senators suddenly found
That a PSA shook up the ground.
It took not a coup
Just a clip or two
To get half of D.C. spinning round.
Ckeyes
(13 posts)WTG Gallego!
Carl
wolfie001
(6,603 posts)Combating these nazis is going to get even tougher as the weeks turn to months.
Mblaze
(886 posts)To not be confused or in doubt about what is plainly said in the UCMJ.
Any doubt that may arise is when they are ordered into American cities against the Posse Comitatus Act or when they are extrajudicially ordered to bomb fishing boats in Venezuelan and Colombian waters.
Hotler
(13,658 posts)Rendition Hegseth to a dark hole in the desert on the other side of the world.
lonely bird
(2,637 posts)Fuck you, Hegseth.
You have thrown soldiers out of the military because you wanted to. They didnt conform to your maladjusted idea of macho but they served. You seek to diminish women who have served and are serving. You seek to diminish Black men because of shaving requirements.
You are disgusting.
BlueWaveNeverEnd
(12,257 posts)Oliver Bolliver Butt
(129 posts)"Encouraging our warriors to ignore the orders of their Commanders... "
The 'six' merely encouraged not following illegal orders, Peter.
LudwigPastorius
(13,862 posts)returnee
(753 posts)as the one by the original 6. IT IS ILLEGAL TO FOLLOW AN ILLEGAL ORDER.
JoseBalow
(8,982 posts)I still find it difficult to wrap my head around what has happened to this country.