The Department of War released an update via X on Tuesday regarding “potentially unlawful conduct” exhibited by Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., in the viral video titled “Don’t Give Up the Ship” which critics claim encouraged treason from service members.<\/p>\n
War Secretary Pete Hegseth demanded an update on the review by Dec. 10.<\/p>\n
“The Department of War recently received information regarding potentially unlawful comments made by CAPT (Ret) Mark E. Kelly in a public video, on or about November 18, 2025. I am referring this, and any other related matters, for your review, consideration, and disposition as you deem appropriate,” Hegseth wrote.<\/p>\n
“Please provide me a brief on the outcome of your review by no later than December 10, 2025,” his letter concluded.<\/p>\n
Hegseth Rips Mark Kelly’s Post About His Service: ‘You Can\u2019t Even Display Your Uniform Correctly’<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Hegseth addressed his letter to the Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan. Kelly served in the Navy as a captain before running for office.<\/p>\n Kelly is the highest-ranking veteran featured in the viral “Don\u2019t Give Up the Ship” video.<\/p>\n Others appearing in the clip include Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a former Army O-3; Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., a former U.S. Air Force O\u20113; White House national security adviser Eric Goodlander, a Naval Reserve officer; Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., a former CIA analyst; and Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., an E\u20115 in the Army National Guard Reserves.<\/p>\n Kelly did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The Department of War provided no additional comment upon request from Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.<\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n The FBI and Department of Justice are scheduling interviews with members of Congress who urged service members to\u00a0<\/p>\n Senator Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst who joined five other lawmakers in last week\u2019s video statement, said she and other members received a note from the FBI\u2019s counter terrorism division Monday night.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest the president\u2019s reaction and the use of the FBI against us is exactly why we made the video,\u201d she said in a Tuesday statement. \u201cHe believes in using the federal government against his perceived adversaries, and he\u2019s not afraid to use the arms of the government against people he disagrees with. He does not believe the law applies to him.\u201d<\/p>\n The latest move follows an announcement from the Department of Defense threatening to\u00a0recall Senator Mark Kelly to face a military tribunal\u00a0for what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called \u201cseditious\u201d acts.<\/p>\n Democratic members of Congress and veterans groups have condemned the investigations as politically motivated stunts intended to silence dissent against the Trump administration.<\/p>\n A statement from Kelly\u2019s office to\u00a0The Independent<\/em>\u00a0said it received the FBI\u2019s inquiry from the Sergeant at Arms.<\/p>\n \u201cSenator Kelly won\u2019t be silenced by President Trump and Secretary Hegseth\u2019s attempt to intimidate him and keep him from doing his job as a U.S. Senator,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n Trump is \u201cusing the FBI as a tool to intimidate and harass members of Congress,\u201d according to a joint statement from Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan, who joined last week\u2019s video message.<\/p>\n \u201cNo amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution,\u201d they said in a statement Monday. \u201cWe swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. We will not be bullied. We will never give up the ship.\u201d<\/p>\n The Justice Department declined to comment to\u00a0The Independent.<\/em><\/p>\n Last week\u2019s video from the six lawmakers, all of whom have military and intelligence backgrounds, warns military personnel against \u201cthreats to our Constitution\u201d coming \u201cfrom right here at home,\u201d an apparent reference to the Trump administration\u2019s deployment of federalized National Guard troops into Democratic-led cities to support the president\u2019s mass deportation agenda \u2014 actions that veterans groups have also publicly condemned.<\/p>\n The video also follows concerns from Congress and veterans \u2014 as well as top military officials \u2014 that the Trump administration is launching illegal missile strikes against suspected drug-running boats in the Caribbean and Pacific waters.<\/p>\n Defense officials and the White House have defended the killings of more than 80 people in recent weeks as justified use of force against \u201cterrorists\u201d bringing drugs into the United States.<\/p>\n An official with the Justice Department told Reuters that the upcoming interviews are intended to determine \u201cif there\u2019s any wrongdoing and then go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n Jacob Thomas, an Air Force veteran with progressive veterans advocacy group Common Defense, said he was \u201cappalled\u201d by the Pentagon\u2019s announcement of the Kelly investigation.<\/p>\n \u201cThis sham probe, spurred by baseless allegations from the Trump administration, is nothing more than an attempt to silence dissent and intimidate those who remind our troops of their duty to uphold the Constitution over unlawful orders,\u201d he said in a statement. \u201cSenator Kelly\u2019s call to refuse illegal directives is not misconduct, it\u2019s patriotism. We must stand against this abuse of power and protect the integrity of our military institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n Veterans for American Ideals said \u201ccalling for an investigation into a well known principle of service is dangerous, and says more about this administration than it does about Senator Kelly\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cInvestigations and threats thereof into those continuing to stand by their principles of service are clearly an attempt to intimidate and silence veterans,\u201d the group said in a statement to\u00a0The Independent<\/em>, \u201cthe very people who have served honorably and want to ensure our military servicemembers continue to have the opportunity to reflect the honor and integrity that is instilled in us.\u201d<\/p>\n Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee and a former Army paratrooper, called the Pentagon\u2019s investigation an \u201coutrageous abuse of power.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is political retribution straight from the autocrat playbook. It has no place in America. And it won\u2019t work,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Senator Ruben Gallego, Kelly\u2019s counterpart in Arizona and a Marine veteran, addressed Hegseth directly during an interview with CNN Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cYou will never, ever, ever even be half the man that Senator Kelly is,\u201d Gallego said. \u201cYou, sir, are a coward. And the fact that you are following this order from the president shows how big of a coward you are.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump, who has leveraged the Justice Department and now the Pentagon to pursue his perceived political enemies, said members of Congress in the video should be immediately arrested and shared posts on his Truth Social account suggesting they should be executed.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir words cannot be allowed to stand,\u201d he wrote on Truth Social. \u201cWe won\u2019t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET.\u201d<\/p>\n Hegseth said the video from members of Congress \u201cmay seem harmless to civilians \u2014 but it carries a different weight inside the military\u201d and is a \u201cpolitically-motivated influence operation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn the military, vague rhetoric and ambiguity undermines trust, creates hesitation in the chain of command, and erodes cohesion,\u201d he wrote on X Tuesday. \u201cThe military already has clear procedures for handling unlawful orders. It does not need political actors injecting doubt into an already clear chain of command.\u201d<\/p>\n Hegseth, who has labeled the lawmakers the \u201cSeditious Six,\u201d also lashed out at Kelly and appeared to undermine his rank and record of service by criticizing the appearance of his medals and uniform.<\/p>\n He said that Kelly, Navy veteran and NASA astronaut who retired in 2011 with the rank of captain, will face a uniform inspection \u201cwhen\/if\u201d he is called back to active duty to face a military court.<\/p>\n \u201cI said something that was pretty simple and non-controversial, and that was that members of the military should follow the law,\u201d Kelly told MS NOW Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd in response to that, Donald Trump said I should be executed. I should be hanged. I should be prosecuted,\u201d he added. \u201cI think it says a lot more about him than it says about me. He doesn\u2019t want accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n As the man barreled toward me, his voice boomed across the lot, drawing the attention of passersby. \u201cWhat the hell do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d he shouted, eyes blazing with anger.<\/p>\n I cradled the German Shepherd in my arms, her body limp and exhausted from the oppressive heat. \u201cShe was going to die,\u201d I retorted, my voice steady despite the chaotic scene unfolding around us. \u201cYou left her in a furnace.\u201d<\/p>\n Ignoring my plea, he continued his tirade, his finger jabbing the air between us. \u201cYou just committed a crime! I\u2019m calling the cops!\u201d<\/p>\n Before I could respond, a woman approached, phone in hand, having witnessed the entire episode. \u201cI\u2019ve already called them,\u201d she said, her voice calm but firm. She looked at the man with disdain. \u201cAnd animal control, too. What you did was inexcusable.\u201d<\/p>\n The crowd watched, murmuring among themselves, some nodding in agreement. My heart pounded, not from fear of retribution, but from the adrenaline and concern for the dog. I gently laid her down, using my shirt to fan her, trying to offer whatever comfort I could until help arrived.<\/p>\n The man\u2019s bravado started to falter under the weight of the public\u2019s disapproval. \u201cYou don\u2019t understand,\u201d he mumbled, his voice losing its earlier venom. \u201cI was only gone for a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were gone long enough,\u201d a bystander interjected. \u201cLook at her.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally, the wailing siren of a patrol car broke through the tension. The police officer stepped out, assessing the situation. His eyes moved from the shattered glass to the panting dog and then to me, still kneeling beside her.<\/p>\n \u201cSir,\u201d he said, addressing the car owner, \u201cleaving an animal in a hot car is illegal and dangerous. You\u2019re lucky someone intervened.\u201d<\/p>\n The man opened his mouth to argue but then seemed to think better of it. His shoulders slumped, the fight leaving him. The officer turned to me. \u201cDid you break the window?\u201d<\/p>\n I nodded, ready to face the consequences if it meant saving the dog\u2019s life. \u201cI did what I had to do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d the officer said, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, \u201cyou might have saved her life.\u201d<\/p>\n As animal control arrived, they quickly assessed the dog, offering her water and checking her vitals. The officer took my statement, but it was clear my actions were justified in the eyes of the law.<\/p>\n Just as things seemed to settle, the unexpected happened. The man, now subdued and chastened, approached me. \u201cThank you,\u201d he said quietly, the anger from before replaced with an awkward gratitude. \u201cI didn\u2019t realize\u2026 I\u2014I need to do better.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a moment of reflection\u2014a realization that change often comes from uncomfortable truths and hard lessons. As animal control took the German Shepherd to a nearby vet for a thorough check-up, the crowd began to disperse, the incident leaving an indelible mark on everyone present.<\/p>\n I stood there for a moment, watching the man walk away, his head bowed, and realized that sometimes, doing the right thing can spark unexpected change\u2014not just in a single moment, but in the hearts of those who witness it.<\/p>\n By Grok News Desk<\/strong>\u00a0September 14, 2025 \u2013 Charlotte, North Carolina<\/em><\/p>\n In a poignant development that has gripped the nation, the family of Iryna Zarutska, the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee brutally stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail train last month, has spoken out publicly for the first time. Through their attorney, they released a deeply personal statement expressing profound grief and a fierce demand for accountability. While the official release is a typed declaration, sources close to the family describe it as originating from a raw, three-page handwritten letter penned in shaky script by Zarutska\u2019s grieving mother, Anna, amid the chaos of war-torn Ukraine. The document, scanned and shared selectively, reveals the family\u2019s unfiltered anguish\u2014but notably, the final page bears a heavily redacted passage, blacked out with ink, fueling speculation about undisclosed details or sensitive family matters.<\/p>\n The letter, obtained by this outlet and corroborated by family representatives, begins with trembling lines that capture the immediacy of loss: \u201cOur hearts are shattered into pieces that can never be mended. Iryna fled the bombs and destruction of our homeland, seeking the promise of America\u2014a place of safety and new beginnings. Instead, she was taken from us in the most senseless, horrific way imaginable.\u201d The handwriting, uneven and wavering as if written through tears, underscores the emotional toll on Anna, who remains in Ukraine, unable to travel due to ongoing conflict and her own deteriorating health.<\/p>\n As the letter progresses over its three pages, it details Iryna\u2019s vibrant life and unyielding optimism. Born in a small town near Kyiv, Zarutska graduated from university with dreams of becoming an artist and animal advocate. She volunteered at senior centers and worked tirelessly at a local pizzeria in Charlotte, saving for a car and her driver\u2019s license exam scheduled for October. \u201cShe texted her boyfriend that night, \u2018I\u2019ll be home soon,\u2019\u201d the letter recounts. \u201cTen minutes from her stop, her light was extinguished. We tracked her phone to the station and arrived to learn she was gone\u2014stabbed, alone, on a train meant to carry her safely home.\u201d<\/p>\n The family\u2019s words paint a picture of betrayal by the very system Iryna embraced. \u201cNo family should endure this nightmare,\u201d the letter states. \u201cIryna believed in America\u2014the American Dream she chased with such passion. She loved this country, its people, its opportunities. We chose to bury her here, not in the soil scarred by war, but in the land she called home.\u201d Indeed, despite offers from the Ukrainian embassy to repatriate her body, the family opted for a funeral in North Carolina, a testament to Iryna\u2019s affection for her adopted nation.<\/p>\n Yet, it\u2019s the blacked-out section on the last page that has sparked intrigue and concern. The redaction, a thick smear of black ink covering several lines, appears deliberate\u2014perhaps shielding intimate family secrets, fears of reprisal, or criticisms too raw for public consumption. Family attorney Michael Smith, speaking on condition of anonymity, hinted that the obscured text addresses \u201cdeeper systemic issues and personal vulnerabilities\u201d but declined further elaboration, citing privacy. Online speculation has ranged from allegations of withheld evidence about the suspect to emotional pleas for international aid amid Ukraine\u2019s plight. Whatever lies beneath the ink, it symbolizes the layers of pain the Zarutskas are still unraveling.<\/p>\n The incident itself remains a chilling reminder of urban vulnerabilities. On August 22, 2025, shortly after 10 p.m., Zarutska boarded the Lynx Blue Line at the Scaleybark station, heading home after her shift. Surveillance footage, now widely circulated despite family pleas to stop, shows 34-year-old Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr. sitting behind her. Without provocation, Brown stands, pulls a knife, and slashes at Zarutska\u2019s neck and torso multiple times before calmly walking away. She slumped in her seat, bleeding out as passengers froze in shock\u2014some unaware, others paralyzed. Emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene.<\/p>\n Brown, a Charlotte resident with a lengthy rap sheet, was arrested minutes later. Court records reveal 14 prior arrests over 12 years, including robbery, larceny, assault, and erratic behavior linked to documented mental health struggles. He had been released from jail just weeks before the stabbing, following a minor charge. Federal prosecutors have since charged him with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, alongside state first-degree murder counts. A judge recently ordered a 60-day psychiatric evaluation, with portions of the ruling redacted\u2014echoing the mystery in the family\u2019s letter. Brown\u2019s family has countered that \u201cthe system failed him,\u201d pointing to inadequate mental health support, but Zarutska\u2019s relatives dismiss this as deflection, insisting in their letter: \u201cHe must remain behind bars forever. No more chances at the expense of innocent lives.\u201d<\/p>\n The family\u2019s release has ignited a broader conversation on public safety, immigration, and criminal justice reform. Iryna\u2019s uncle, speaking to ABC News from Ukraine, described her as \u201ca light in our darkness,\u201d emphasizing how she escaped Russia\u2019s 2022 invasion only to meet violence in a sanctuary city. \u201cShe volunteered, she worked hard, she dreamed big,\u201d he said. \u201cAmerica welcomed her, but failed to protect her.\u201d The letter amplifies this, calling for \u201cimmediate reforms to transit security, stricter oversight of repeat offenders, and better mental health interventions that don\u2019t endanger the public.\u201d<\/p>\n Public reaction has been swift and polarized. On X (formerly Twitter), hashtags like #JusticeForIryna and #IrynaZarutska have trended, with users decrying \u201csoft-on-crime\u201d policies in Democrat-led cities like Charlotte. Conservative figures, including former President Donald Trump, have seized on the case, with Trump stating Brown \u201cshould get the death penalty\u201d and vowing to address urban crime if re-elected. Meanwhile, progressive voices highlight mental health crises, though the family\u2019s letter rejects any sympathy for Brown: \u201cHis history of violence speaks for itself. Compassion cannot come at the cost of safety.\u201d<\/p>\n The redacted passage has only deepened the intrigue. Some speculate it critiques Charlotte\u2019s transit system, the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), which the family accuses of \u201clapses in security\u201d like inadequate lighting and patrols. Others whisper of geopolitical undertones\u2014perhaps Anna\u2019s fears for remaining relatives in Ukraine or unshared details about Iryna\u2019s life stateside. Whatever the truth, the ink blot stands as a stark metaphor for the opacity surrounding Zarutska\u2019s death: a system that hides failures behind bureaucracy, leaving families to piece together justice alone.<\/p>\n Iryna\u2019s life, cut short at 23, was one of quiet resilience. Friends recall her as an artist who sketched animals and landscapes, a volunteer who brightened senior centers, and a young woman \u201chead over heels\u201d for the American Dream. She had just purchased a used car, symbolizing her steps toward independence. Her boyfriend, in a tearful interview, shared her last texts: simple words of love and anticipation. Now, those messages haunt a family fractured by distance and despair.<\/p>\n As the investigation unfolds, the Zarutskas\u2019 letter\u2014shaky, raw, and partially veiled\u2014serves as both elegy and call to arms. \u201cWe demand change,\u201d it concludes before the blackout. \u201cFor Iryna, for all who seek safety here.\u201d With federal charges mounting and public outcry growing, the hope is that this tragedy sparks the reforms the family craves. But until the ink fades and truths emerge, Iryna\u2019s story remains a haunting indictment of a nation that promised refuge but delivered horror.<\/p>\n In Charlotte, vigils continue, with community members lighting candles at the Camden station. Churches have held prayers, linking Zarutska\u2019s fate to broader societal ills. Her aunt, Valeria Haskell, told People magazine the family is \u201cdevastated but determined,\u201d pushing for legislative action on transit safety. As one X user poignantly noted, \u201cIryna deserved more than silence from strangers on that train. She deserves justice from all of us now.\u201d<\/p>\n The road ahead is long, but the Zarutskas\u2019 voice\u2014trembling yet resolute\u2014echoes louder than ever. In a world of redacted truths, their plea cuts through: No more victims. No more failures.<\/p>\n California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) warned of possible voter intimidation in next year\u2019s midterms, alleging without evidence that President Donald Trump might deploy ICE agents to polling places \u201cto chill participation.\u201d<\/p>\n He made the claim in a podcast interview with journalist Kara Swisher, where he accused Trump of trying to consolidate control over U.S. elections for decades to come. Several social media users accused Newsom of essentially admitting that illegal aliens have been voting in the state\u2019s elections.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to recognize that there are no limits with this guy. If he could rig next year\u2019s election \u2026 I mean, we joke about not having<\/p>\n another [election], I don\u2019t think that\u2019s a joke. He will wire this for the next 20 to 30 years. If it\u2019s a JD \u2026 it doesn\u2019t even matter,\u201d Newsom claimed. \u201cHe will wire it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s already sending out masked people to intimidate folks,\u201d Newsom said, likely a reference to federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who have begun hiding their faces after some Democrats began doxing them and putting their families at risk.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we launched our campaign, did it down in Little Tokyo in LA \u2014 do you think ICE is not going to show up around voting and polling booths to chill participation? And you know that \u2014 the National Guard \u2014 you know that,\u201d Newsom said.<\/p>\n WATCH:<\/p>\n Several users on X said Newsom tacitly admitted people in the country illegally have been voting in the Golden State.<\/p>\n Though Newsom offered no evidence, his remarks echo broader Democratic concerns that Trump might take extraordinary steps to influence elections, despite existing legal and constitutional safeguards, Breitbart News\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n There is no indication that ICE, the agency tasked with immigration enforcement, has any role in monitoring or operating at polling sites.<\/p>\n Newsom also claimed Trump plans to run again in 2028, despite the 22nd Amendment\u2019s prohibition on serving more than two presidential terms. \u201cI don\u2019t think Donald Trump wants another election \u2026 I have two dozen Trump 2028 hats his folks keep sending me,\u201d Newsom told Politico earlier. \u201c\u2026 this is serious, guys. This is serious.\u201d<\/p>\n He suggested that Trump\u2019s behavior and the presence of merchandise promoting a 2028 campaign should be seen as a sign of intent.<\/p>\n \u201cYou think when he brings foreign leaders to the Oval Office and he goes to the White House store \u2014 have you seen this? Anyone? Is it just me? \u2014 and he shows them the 2028 hats, he\u2019s not being serious? Wake up. You will lose your country,\u201d Newsom ranted.<\/p>\n The governor\u2019s remarks come amid ongoing debates over election security, voter access, and federal authority in state-run elections. To that point, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Saturday that an executive order requiring voter ID in all federal elections would be forthcoming.<\/p>\n \u201cVoter I.D. Must Be Part of Every Single Vote. NO EXCEPTIONS! I Will Be Doing An Executive Order To That End!!!\u201d Trump\u00a0wrote. \u201cAlso, No Mail-In Voting, Except For Those That Are Very Ill, And The Far Away Military.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Department of War released an update via X on Tuesday regarding “potentially unlawful conduct” exhibited by Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., in the viral video titled “Don’t Give Up the Ship” which…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-breaking-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20641"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20641\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}