HEGSETH ‘ESCALATES’ FEUD WITH KELLY: It’s unclear if the Navy’s review of Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) resulted in any recommendation for court martial or administrative discipline for what War Secretary Pete Hegseth deemed “seditious” speech. Hegseth is taking his campaign to punish the retired Navy captain and astronaut to the next level — an ‘official command investigation.’”
While the video message Kelly and five fellow Democrats posted on social media last month reminded U.S. military members of their duty under the Uniform Code of Military Justice to “refuse illegal orders,” Hegeth and President Donald Trump said because it was not clear what orders they were referencing, the message amounted to a call for troops to on their own volition to disobey any orders they didn’t like.
Under Article 94 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, it is also a crime for members of the military to “overthrow lawful authority or hinder military success.” In announcing the Pentagon’s general counsel was “escalating the preliminary review,” the department said, “Kelly is currently under investigation for serious allegations of misconduct.”
PENTAGON ESCALATES MARK KELLY ‘MISCONDUCT’ REVIEW AS SENATOR’S ATTORNEY THREATENS LEGAL ACTION
KELLY: ‘IT SHOULD SEND A SHIVER DOWN THE SPINE OF EVERY PATRIOTIC AMERICAN’: In a response posted on X, Kelly accused Trump and Hegseth of an abuse of power in an attempt to silence their critics that “should send a shiver down the spine of every patriotic American.”
“It wasn’t enough for Pete Hegseth to threaten me with a court-martial. Now they are threatening everything I fought and served for across twenty-five years in the U.S. Navy — all because I repeated something every service member is taught,” Kelly said. “The United States has the most professional military in the world – I trust their integrity. What I don’t trust is Pete Hegseth, a recklessly unqualified secretary of defense who has already shown he will corrupt any process to make an example out of me.”
“If Trump and Hegseth think this will stop me from doing what I’ve done every day of my adult life – fighting for this country – then they’ve got the wrong guy.”
Meanwhile, Kelly says he has yet to receive any official word about any investigation. His only knowledge comes from social media posts and news reports. “They call it a command investigation. I spent 25 years in the United States Navy. I was in many commands. I retired from the Navy, you know, 14 years ago. I’m not in any command now. I don’t know what they’re talking about,” Kelly said on CNN last night.
THE LAWYERS WEIGH IN: Kelly has retained legal counsel, and his lawyer, Paul Fishman, of Arnold and Porter, fired off a letter to the Navy yesterday before the announcement of the “escalation” was announced.
“To be clear: there is no legitimate basis for any type of proceeding against Senator Kelly, and any such effort would be unconstitutional and an extraordinary abuse of power,” Fishman wrote. “If the Executive Branch were to move forward in any forum — criminal, disciplinary, or administrative — we will take all appropriate legal action on Senator Kelly’s behalf to halt the Administration’s unprecedented and dangerous overreach.”
Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are scheduled to provide another briefing for senators today as Democrats and some legal experts are questioning the legality of the strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.
“You know, maybe at that point he’s [Hegseth] going to come up to me and, you know, say something officially, because I haven’t heard anything.”
Last month, a group of former military lawyers, JAGs or Judges Advocates General, wrote an open letter calling the “intentional targeting of anyone – enemy combatants, non-combatants, or civilians – rendered hors de combat (out of the fight),” a potential war crime.
“Since orders to kill survivors of an attack at sea are ‘patently illegal,’ anyone who issues or follows such orders can and should be prosecuted for war crimes, murder, or both,” they wrote.
US MILITARY SAYS STRIKES ON 3 BOATS IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN KILL 8 PEOPLE
Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre.
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TRUMP: ‘WE’RE CLOSER NOW THAN WE HAVE BEEN EVER’: President Donald Trump continued to express optimism that prospects for a peace deal to permanently end the fight in Ukraine are looking up.
“We’re trying to get it done. And I think we’re closer now,” Trump told reporters at the White House yesterday. “And I think we’re closer now than we have been ever.”
But while Russia has yet to soften any of its demands, including that Ukraine give territory that Russia has been unable to take by force, Trump continues to blame both sides for intransigence.
“At this moment, Russia wants to get it ended. The problem is they’ll want to get it ended and then all of a sudden they won’t, and Ukraine will want to get it ended and all of a sudden they won’t. So we have to get them on the same page,” Trump said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been adamant that Ukraine will not relinquish parts of the eastern Donbas region it currently holds, and that any ceasefire would have to freeze the battleline in its current status.
US CLAIMS 90% OF OBSTACLES TO RUSSIA-UKRAINE AGREEMENT SOLVED IN GERMANY TALKS
U.S. SECURITY GUARANTEES: In return for taking NATO membership off the table, Zelensky is insisting on ironclad, congressionally ratified security guarantees from the United States to ensure Russia doesn’t restart the war in the future.
“Before taking any steps on the battlefield, both the military and the civilian population must have a clear understanding of what the security guarantees will be,” Zelensky said yesterday. “We are working on putting all of this on paper right now, and there is progress. The details developed by the military part looks quite solid, even though this is only the first draft.”
Asked about what the U.S. is actually offering in terms of an “Article 5-style” guarantee, Trump said, “In terms of security guarantee, we’re working with Europe on it.”
“Europe would be a big part of that. And we’re working on the security guarantee so the war doesn’t start up again. We don’t want to have a war start up again,” Trump said.
Asked if there was a time limit on guarantees, Trump said, “The time limit is whenever we get it done. I mean, we’re going to try to get it done. We’re making progress. It’s more difficult than anybody could have thought.”
GOODBYE CENTCOM AND EUCOM, HELLO AMERICOM AND INTERCOM: The Washington Post is reporting this morning that senior Pentagon leaders are considering a radical reorganization of the U.S. military combatant command structure that would combine the U.S. Northern and Southern Command into the U.S. Americas Command, or AMERICOM. Similarly, the U.S., European, Central, and African commands would be merged into a unified U.S. International Command, or INTERCOM.
The plan, which the Post says will be briefed to War Secretary Pete Hegseth by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, is said to be “predecisional,” and would reduce the number of combatant commands from 11 to eight.
“If adopted, the plan would usher in some of the most significant changes at the military’s highest ranks in decades, in part following through on Hegseth’s promise to break the status quo and slash the number of four-star generals in the military,” the report says. “Those familiar with the plan said it aligns with the Trump administration’s national security strategy, released this month, which declares that the ‘days of the United States propping up the entire world order like Atlas are over.’”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: US claims 90% of obstacles to Russia-Ukraine agreement solved in Germany talks
Washington Examiner: Army shares identities of two soldiers killed in ISIS ambush in Syria
Washington Examiner: Seized oil tanker is another point to Trump’s pressure campaign on Maduro
Washington Examiner: Pentagon escalates Mark Kelly ‘misconduct’ review as senator’s attorney threatens legal action
Washington Examiner: Trump sues BBC for $10 billion over Jan. 6 speech edit
Washington Post: U.S. offers Ukraine security guarantee in bid to strike peace deal
Politico: Trump Declares Fentanyl a Weapon of Mass Destruction
AP: US Military Says Strikes on 3 Boats in the Eastern Pacific Ocean Kill 8 People
Washington Post: Pentagon Plan Calls for Major Power Shifts Within US Military
AP: After a year of Trump, EU leaders begrudgingly learn to live with the reality of an unreliable ally
Wall Street Journal: Ukraine Claims Naval First with Underwater Drone Strike on Russian Submarine
New York Times: Live Updates: Sydney Gunmen Were Motivated by ISIS, Australia Prime Minister Says
AP: Trump administration says White House ballroom construction is a matter of national security
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Numbers Game Squeezes USAF Fighter Force
Breaking Defense: France, US Practice Up-Close Satellite Maneuvers Under Joint Space War Plan
Task & Purpose: Why (and How) the US Military Wants to Resupply Troops from Space
Breaking Defense: NDAA Gives New Counter-Drone Office Veto over Service Programs, Official Says
The War Zone: China’s Stealthy CH-7 Flying Wing Drone Has Flown
Air & Space Forces Magazine: WV Air Guardsman Wounded in DC Attack Making ‘Extraordinary Progress’
Air & Space Forces Magazine: ‘Victus Haze’ Responsive Space Mission Pushed to 2026 by Rocket Anomaly
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Major Acquisition Programs Have Lost ‘Substantial’ Talent, Leaders Say
Aviation Week: Pentagon Planning Competitive Awards for Ground, Air MTI From Space
THE CALENDAR:
TUESDAY | DECEMBER 16
9:30 a.m. 106 Dirksen — Senate Judiciary Border Security and Immigration Subcommittee and Crime and Counterterrorism Subcommittee joint hearing: “Biden Afghan Parolee Program – A Trojan Horse with Flawed Vetting and Deadly Consequences” http://judiciary.senate.gov
10 a.m. 2172 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs Europe Subcommittee hearing: “Hybrid Warfare in Europe Against U.S. Interests: Moscow and Beijing Playbook,” with testimony from: Craig Singleton, China Program senior director and senior fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Christopher Walker, vice president, Center for European Policy Analysis; and Laura Cooper, adjunct assistant professor, Georgetown University http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
1 p.m. Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual book discussion: beginning at 1 p.m., on “The Great Heist: China Epic Campaign to Steal America Secrets,” with author David Shedd, former deputy director and acting director, Defense Intelligence Agency https://www.csis.org/events/chinas-campaign-steal-americas-secrets-talk-david-r-shedd
2 p.m. 2167 Rayburn — House Transportation and Infrastructure Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee hearing: “Changes in Maritime Technology: Can the Coast Guard Keep Up?” http://transportation.house.gov
WEDNESDAY | DECEMBER 17
9 a.m. — International Institute for Strategic Studies virtual discussion: “The Future of New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties): Implications for the U.S. and Europe,” with Lukasz Kulesa, senior associate at the European Leadership network; Robert Peters, senior research fellow for strategic deterrence at the Heritage Foundation Center for National Security; Nikolai Sokov, senior fellow, Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation; and Mallory Stewart, executive vice president, Council on Strategic Risks https://www.iiss.org/events/2025/12/the-future-of-new-start
10:30 a.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “Revitalizing the Defense Industrial Base,” with Michael Cadenazzi, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy; Jenna Ben-Yehuds, executive vice president, Atlantic Council; and Steven Grundman, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Forward Defense Program https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/the-pentagons-michael-cadenazzi
10:30 a.m. 2799 Richmond Hwy., Arlington, Va.— Satellite Industry Association and U.S. Space Command “Commercial Satcom Workshop,” with Rear Adm. Tracy Hines, deputy director of operations (J3), U.S. Space Command RSVP: [email protected]
11 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Are We Running Out of Missile Defense Interceptors?” with Tom Karako, director, CSIS Missile Defense Project; and Wes Rumbaugh, fellow at the CSIS Missile Defense Project https://www.csis.org/events/are-we-running-out-missile-defense-interceptors
1:30 p.m. — American Security Project virtual discussion: “Defending Against AI-Powered Threats from Cyberspace,” with Edward Wittenstein, director, Yale University Schmidt Program on Artificial Intelligence, Emerging Technologies and National Power; Emelia Probasco, senior fellow, Georgetown University Center for Security and Emerging Technology; and Courtney Manning, director, AI Imperative 2030 at the American Security Project https://www.americansecurityproject.org/event/defending-against-ai-powered-threats
2:30 p.m. 1763 N St. NW — Middle East Institute discussion: “U.S.-Saudi Relationship in the Wake of MBS (Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman) Visit,” with former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney; Karen Young, MEI senior fellow; F. Gregory Gause III, MEI visiting scholar; and Kenneth Pollack, MEI vice president for policy https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register
THURSDAY| DECEMBER 18
9 a.m. — Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies virtual discussion: “Europe at War,” with Nathalie Tocci, professor, practice at Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe and director at Isituto Affari Internazionali https://sais.jhu.edu/campus-events
10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW,— Brookings Institution Center on the U.S. and Europe virtual discussion: “Ukraine: Pressure on Zelenskyy and prospects for peace,” with Fiona Hill, senior fellow, Brookings Foreign Policy Program and Brookings Center on the U.S. and Europe; Thomas Wright, senior fellow at the Brookings Foreign Policy Program and Brookings Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology; Mariana Budjeryn, nonresident senior fellow, Brookings Foreign Policy Program and Brookings Center on the U.S. and Europe; and Anton Troianovski, global affairs correspondent at the New York Times https://www.brookings.edu/events/ukraine-pressure-on-zelenskyy
10:30 a.m. 2799 Richmond Hwy, Arlington, Va. — Satellite Industry Association and the U.S. Space Command “Commercial Satcom Workshop,” with Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) [email protected]
11 a.m. 222 Russell — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing: “Bosnia and Herzegovina at a crossroads, focusing on 30 years after Dayton,” with former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues Clint Williamson, senior director for international justice, Georgetown University; and Christopher Chivvis, director, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace American Statecraft Program; https://www.youtube.com/live/58JLQOFZOqM
FRIDAY | DECEMBER 19
10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “Strategic Perspective on Nuclear Modernization,” with Dave Hoagland, acting National Nuclear Security Administration administrator for defense programs https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/strategic-perspective-on-nuclear-modernization
