Two senior Republican senators have openly opposed Pentagon secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to censure fellow Senator Mark Kelly, a former navy captain. Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina criticised the move on Monday, describing it as inappropriate and an overreach that could chill political speech.
Hegseth announced administrative action against Kelly, including a retirement grade determination proceeding that could reduce his rank and pension. The action stems from a video Kelly and other Democrats released last year, urging military personnel to refuse illegal orders. Hegseth called the video “reckless and seditious” and said it undermined military discipline.
Collins, who chairs the Senate appropriations committee overseeing the Pentagon budget, said she believed it was wrong to target Kelly’s military benefits over a political video. Tillis, who is retiring from the Senate, described the censure as “ridiculous” and warned it had “a chilling effect on speech”.
Other Republican senators offered tepid responses. Mike Rounds of South Dakota said the process should be allowed to proceed without comment, while Deb Fischer of Nebraska said she lacked sufficient information. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia characterised it as an issue between the Department of War and Kelly.
Kelly, who flew combat missions and travelled to space four times, issued a combative statement calling the censure “outrageous” and “un-American”. He said Hegseth and Donald Trump “don’t get to decide what Americans in this country get to say about their government”.
