Judge Skeptical of Pentagon Censure of Sen. Kelly

A federal judge in Washington expressed skepticism Tuesday over the Pentagon's decision to censure Sen. Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain and sitting Arizona Democrat, for participating in a video urging U.S. troops to resist unlawful orders from the Trump administration.

During a hearing in U.S. District Court, Kelly's attorneys argued that the January 5 censure by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violates the senator's First Amendment rights. They sought an injunction to prevent any further punishment, including potential demotion from his retired rank and a reduction in retirement pay. Judge Richard Leon, who did not issue an immediate ruling, questioned the government's position, stating he knew of no U.S. Supreme Court precedent supporting the restriction on a military retiree's speech.

The case stems from a 90-second video released in November, in which Kelly joined five other Democratic lawmakers, all veterans or former intelligence officials, to encourage service members to prioritize the Constitution over illegal directives. The video, first posted on the social media account of Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, featured Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Chris Deluzio of...