Steve Bannon Calls for Court-Martial of Senator Mark Kelly Over Military Remarks

Former White House adviser Steve Bannon has called for the immediate court-martial of Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) following remarks made by Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers encouraging military personnel to refuse illegal orders. Bannon, speaking on his "War Room" podcast, urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to expedite the process, stating, "Recall this guy today. And let’s convene a court-martial Friday morning, 0800. And then have him in Leavenworth 0800 on Monday morning."

The controversy stems from a video released by Kelly and his colleagues, including Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA). In the video, they urged service members to honor their oath to the Constitution and refuse unlawful orders.

In response, the Pentagon announced a "thorough review" of the allegations against Kelly, a retired Navy captain and astronaut, for "serious allegations of misconduct." Defense Secretary Hegseth ordered Navy Secretary John Phelan to investigate the comments and report findings by December 10.

President Donald Trump labeled the lawmakers' actions as "seditious" and suggested they could be construed as actions taken by "traitors." He remarked, "In the old days, if you said a thing like that, that was punishable by death."

Senator Kelly defended his actions, stating, "I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution."

The situation has sparked a broader debate on the boundaries between political speech and military discipline, especially concerning retired military personnel now serving in public office.