Two prominent Republican senators have publicly broken ranks to oppose Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's controversial attempt to formally censure and demote their Democratic colleague, Senator Mark Kelly.
Bipartisan Backlash Against Pentagon Action
The pushback from Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, delivered on Monday, marks a significant moment of dissent within the GOP. Their criticism stands in stark contrast to the largely muted or non-committal responses from most other Republican senators regarding the Pentagon's move against Kelly.
Susan Collins, who chairs the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee overseeing the Pentagon's budget, stated plainly that she believed it was inappropriate to target Kelly's military benefits because of a political video. "I don't think that's appropriate," Collins told reporters.
Thom Tillis, who announced his retirement from the Senate last June, was even more direct. He described the Defence Department's censure as "ridiculous" and asserted that "Hegseth overreached." Tillis cautioned that pursuing such punitive action against a sitting senator "has a chilling effect on speech." While he called the original Democratic video "rage bait," he emphasised Kelly's role, saying, "My gosh, he is a US senator who operates in a political world. I've got a real problem with it."
The Censure and Kelly's Defiant Response
The controversy stems from a video released last year by Kelly and other Democrats, which encouraged active-duty military personnel to refuse illegal orders. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth labelled the content a "reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline."
On Monday, Hegseth's department initiated administrative action against Kelly, a former Navy captain who flew combat missions and travelled to space four times with NASA. The action includes a formal censure letter and a "retirement grade determination proceeding," which could result in Kelly's rank being reduced and his military pension slashed.
Senator Kelly issued a combative statement in response, calling the censure "outrageous" and "un-American." He directly challenged Hegseth, writing, "If Pete Hegseth, the most unqualified secretary of defense in our country's history, thinks he can intimidate me with a censure or threats to demote me or prosecute me, he still doesn't get it." Kelly added, "Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump don't get to decide what Americans in this country get to say about their government."
Tepid Reactions from Other Republicans
The reaction from other Republican senators has been notably measured. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, a member of the Armed Services Committee, suggested there would be "an adjudication process" that should proceed without external comment. When asked if the proceedings made sense given Kelly's Senate role, Rounds replied, "I think we'll let the process play out."
Other colleagues sidestepped the issue. Deb Fischer of Nebraska, also on the Armed Services Committee, said she lacked sufficient information to respond. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia characterised it as an issue "between the Department of War and Sen Kelly."
The strong objections from Collins and Tillis, both considered influential voices within the party, highlight a rare fissure over the administration's approach to disciplining a political opponent for his speech, setting a potentially significant precedent for political-military relations.
