FBI plans to interview Sen. Mark Kelly, Democrats Trump accused
U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) watches a press conference calling for the release of the Epstein files on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, USA on November 18, 2025. The photo was taken on November 18, 2025.
Annabelle Gordon | Reuters
The FBI plans to interview Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and five other congressional Democrats in connection with their appearance in a video encouraging members of the U.S. military to refuse to comply with illegal orders, according to news on Tuesday.
The FBI contacted the Capitol Police to schedule those interviews, NBC News reported, citing a person familiar with the efforts.
President Donald Trump blasted the video last week, accusing Kelly and other lawmakers of “seditious behavior,” calling them “traitors” and saying: “In the old days, if you said something like that, it was punishable by death.”
Other lawmakers in the video included Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, as well as House Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, and Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania.
Fox News first reported the FBI’s efforts.
Earlier Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reacted online after Kelly showed off his U.S. Navy medals. Pentagon began investigating him for encouraging soldiers to refuse to obey illegal orders.
“So ‘Captain’ Kelly, not only did your incitement video deliberately undermine good order and discipline… but you fail to even properly display your uniform,” Hegseth interjected. a post on xHe responded to a tweet from Kelly showing off his medals.
“Your medals are out of order and the orders are reversed. If/when you are called to active duty, it will start with a uniform inspection,” said Hegseth, a former Fox News host and a former major in the Army National Guard.
The Pentagon said on Monday: “Serious allegations of abuse” are being investigated against retired Navy captain Kelly for his role in the video.
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) military uniform.
Source: @SenMarkKelly | X
The Pentagon said Kelly could be recalled to active military duty and face a possible court-martial for potential violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The UCMJ requires service members to comply with “any lawful general order or regulation.”
In response on Monday, Kelly issued a statement on
His post also included a close-up photo of Kelly in his Navy uniform, showing off the medals in his shirt breast pocket.
“Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders,” Kelly said in the video tweeted Nov. 18 by Slotkin of Michigan, a former CIA analyst.
Slotkin tweeted: “We want to speak directly to members of the Military and Intelligence Community. The American people need you to defend our laws and our Constitution. Don’t give up ship.”
The video was shot as the US military under the Trump administration launched more than 20 airstrikes on boats against alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing scores of people on these ships.
The legality of these strikes, which took place without congressional permission, was questioned.
On Monday, a group of Democratic senators, including Kelly and Slotkin, wrote to Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi, asking them to declassify a September written opinion from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel on the domestic and international legal basis for strikes.
FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, New York, regarding the arrests of NBA players and coaches for illegal gambling schemes on October 23, 2025.
Eduardo Muñoz | Reuters
“Few decisions are more important to a democracy than the use of lethal force.” The letter said:
“Therefore, we believe that the declassification and public release of this important document will increase transparency in our nation’s military’s use of lethal force and ensure that Congress and the American people are fully informed of the legal justifications supporting these attacks.” he said.
