A federal judge has rejected Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's attempt to punish Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) for his statements about military service members' obligations regarding unlawful orders. Judge Richard Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Hegseth's efforts to demote Kelly and strip his veterans benefits violated the senator's First Amendment rights.

Leon's scathing 23-page opinion drew on Bob Dylan lyrics to emphasize his point, writing that retired veterans deserve more respect from their government. The judge noted that no court has ever extended First Amendment limitations to retired servicemembers, particularly those serving in Congress with military oversight responsibilities. Kelly, a former Navy captain and astronaut, had encouraged military personnel to refuse illegal orders amid the Trump administration's Caribbean operations.

The ruling represents a significant rebuke of Hegseth's actions, which Kelly characterized as intimidation tactics from the "most unqualified Secretary of Defense in our country's history." Leon dismissed the Defense Department's case as "Horsefeathers!" and "anemic!" while emphasizing that retired servicemembers have contributed valuable expertise to military discussions for 250 years.