Controversial US Senator Mark Kelly sues Pentagon chief Hegseth over demotion threats

In a statement on Monday, Kelly said Hegseth's, "unconstitutional crusade against me sends a chilling message to every retired member of the military: if you speak out and say something that the president or Secretary of Defense doesn’t like, you will be censured, threatened with demotion, or even prosecuted.”

Hegseth’s censure of Kelly followed a sweeping shakeup at the Pentagon during Trump’s second term. Several top military leaders were removed, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the navy’s top officer, and the director of the National Security Agency, after the Pentagon adopted a more meritocratic approach after the DEI-driven Biden years.

(Reporting by Mike Scarcella; Editing by David Bario and David Gregorio)