“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
Abraham Lincoln
(11-27-25)
From GROK 4.1 AI—-
Recent Political Controversy: Mark Kelly Labeled a “Benedict Arnold”
In the wake of the 2024 U.S. presidential election and the transition to a new administration, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ)—a retired Navy captain, former NASA astronaut, and combat veteran—has faced intense criticism from conservative media and commentators. On November 26, 2025, Newsmax host Rob Finnerty explicitly compared Kelly to Benedict Arnold, the infamous Revolutionary War general turned traitor, during a segment with guest Kari Lake. Finnerty acknowledged Kelly’s impressive military record—serving as an ensign on the USS Midway, 39 combat missions in Desert Storm, and four space shuttle flights with NASA—
“He does have a great record, but so did Benedict Arnold.”
The remark came amid broader accusations of sedition against Kelly and other Democratic lawmakers with military backgrounds.
“Benedict Arnold was a war hero, wounded in battle–before he turned against his country. Hitler was likewise a decorated and wounded veteran of the First World War. Being a war hero is not a lifetime…exempt[ion]…from responsibility for what you do thereafter.”
~ Thomas Sowell
Context of the Accusations
The controversy stems from a November 2024 video (surfacing prominently in post-election discussions) featuring Kelly alongside five other former military Democrats—Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Jason Crow (D-CO), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI). In the clip, they urged U.S. service members to refuse “illegal orders” from the incoming Trump administration, without specifying examples. Critics, including Lake and an opinion piece on Granite Grok, branded this as “mutinous” and eroding military chain-of-command values, equating it to Arnold’s 1780 plot to surrender West Point to the British. They argue these lawmakers are “selling out” the military in “trying times,” dubbing them the “Benedict Arnolds of our time.”
On November 24, 2025, the Pentagon announced an investigation into Kelly under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), citing “serious allegations of misconduct.” As a retired Navy commander, Kelly remains subject to UCMJ jurisdiction, unlike some peers in the video who are fully separated from service. The probe, referenced in discussions involving Pete Hegseth (nominated Secretary of Defense), focuses on whether Kelly’s comments incite rebellion. Kelly responded on X (formerly Twitter) by defending his service and rejecting the attacks, which prompted Finnerty’s on-air retort.
This isn’t isolated—similar rhetoric has echoed in right-wing circles, with commenters noting Kelly’s post-shooting fame (after the 2011 assassination attempt on his wife, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords) as a “prop” for his career, much like historical figures leveraging personal tragedy. Lake, a Trump ally and Kelly’s 2022 Senate opponent, amplified the calls for a “court-martial.”
Who Is Mark Kelly?
• Military Career: Graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy (1986); flew combat missions in the Gulf War; retired as captain in 2011.
• NASA Achievements: Commanded two Space Shuttle missions (STS-108 in 2001, STS-124 in 2008); flew as pilot on two others (STS-121 in 2006, STS-134 in 2011, the final shuttle flight).
• Politics: Elected to the Senate in 2020 (special election) and 2022; considered for VP in 2020 and 2024 Democratic tickets. Focuses on veterans’ issues, space policy, and gun reform.
• Personal: Widower of Giffords; authored books like Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope (2011).
Echoes of Benedict Arnold
The Arnold comparison is a loaded historical parallel. Arnold was a daring patriot hero—leading the grueling 1775 Quebec expedition and pivotal victories at Valcour Island and Saratoga—before personal grievances (delayed promotions, financial woes) led to his treason. Historians like Jack Kelly (author of God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America’s Most Hated Man, 2024) argue Arnold’s early exploits were indispensable to American independence, complicating his villainous legacy. Critics apply this to Kelly: praising his service while decrying perceived disloyalty as unforgivable.
This flap highlights deepening partisan divides over military loyalty in the Trump era, with calls for voter accountability in 2026 midterms. Kelly has not been charged, and the investigation’s outcome remains unclear as of November 27, 2025. For real-time updates, check Kelly’s X account (@SenMarkKelly) or official Pentagon statements.
Newsmax Host Compares Mark Kelly To Benedict Arnold
FINNERTY: Mark Kelly tweeted this out. This is very bizarre. But he decided to tweet out all of his military achievements he was — and I’ll read some of them. He was an ensign in the Navy. At 22, he served on the USS Midway, had 39 deployments in Desert Storm. He flew four missions to space for NASA. We thank him for his service, but he says he won’t stand for anyone questioning his record. He does have a great record, but so did Benedict Arnold, Kari. Don’t you have a good record until suddenly you don’t have a good record anymore?
LAKE: Yeah. When you call for — when you behave in a way that’s seditious, your record immediately is tarnished. And his record, in my opinion, has been tarnished for some time. It’s just that the American people maybe haven’t known who he was or known much about it. I hope to see some action on this, because if we don’t see action on the seditious six, we’re going to see more of that kind of behavior and it could evolve into something truly dangerous for our great United States of America.
Read the full transcript.
Mercer County Outlook 
Folks, there is nothing seditious about stating you should refuse to follow an illegal order. By definition an “Illegal” order is not a “lawful” order and therefor is not lawful to follow.
Here is the tell, I have not seen or read where anyone has challenged the thought that an “Illegal” order would ever be given. Makes me wonder in this case if everyone has already accepted the probablity of an “illegal” order being issued and it should blindly be followed.
Might want to read up on My Lai, March 16, 1968 and ask yourself, who are the patriots in this story?
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well when you tell government officials or service members to disregard the commander In chiefs orders that is not a good thing especially from elected officials whether Dem or Rep. we go by a chain of command for a reason. That’s all I’m saying on it.
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Don, I agree with you in that context. However, “illegal” orders was the context of what was said.
Let me ask you this, if a Federal District Judge delivers a “legal” ruling in a particular way that the administration disagrees with and the administration says “F” you —— that is fine,no problem.
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The “context” is, these people have been saying that almost everything Trump does is illegal, called him a Nazi, a racist, a dictator. So now, for “no apparent reason”, they want to issue a public service announcement to military personnel who, by the way, have already had this drilled into their heads since boot camp? Come on! They are planting the seeds of chaos in our military. This is wrong and they know it! I commend Commander Kelly for his service, but someone of his stature should have know better. I would suggest from Senator Kelly a sincere apology and and explanation of why he was wrong, if he expects any amount of leniency on this.
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Not sure where the quote, “for no apparent reason” came from but they are accussed of seditious behavior. So what have they done? They have exercised a First Amendment right of reminding fellow service members of something “that has been drilled into their heads since bootcamp”.
I wonder if all the military instructors are seditious for teaching such a concept or is it the act of reminding miltary members of the concept itself seditious?
The irony here is that they are reminding folks to be lawful and not do something illegal. It appears that in some folks eyes that is “seditious” and needs to be investigated.
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The quote is me being sarcastic because they cannot point out one “illegal order” that they are referring to, and the fact that the military has already been trained on this in an unbiased manner, there is no apparent necessity for members of congress, who do not hide their hatred for President Trump, to bring this up except to plant a seed of resistance in the military, and to have it accepted by the public so they will further encourage it. This puts our troops in real danger. The issue is not that they stated a law in the UCMJ, the issue is why they said it and what did they expect to accoomplish. What were they trying to accomplish?
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Well, I guess we know the reason now. It will be interesting to see who the regime offers as the sacrificial lamb.
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The open discussions of invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807 and/or marshall law while unidentified masked “federal agents” taking people off the streets by throwing them in unmark vehicles, and showing contemp for the Federal Judges isn’t a good look for this regime.
Couple all of that with placing National Guardsmen on city streets (placing them in danger) and suggesting we train our active duty military personal in our cities apparently is no reason for concern for you.
I wonder how your editorial would read if this was a Biden Administration move.
On a side note: your thoughts Gen Michael Flynn?
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Of course seeing National Guard on our city streets is concerning, but what is more concerning is the crime, drugs, and violence that have been allowed to fester for years. Millions of unvetted people coming across our border is concerning. This all is the result of democrats policies.
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This is a result of the lack of the Dems and the Reps compromising to find a solution to this issue. Playing politics with this issue has gotten us to where we are and always claiming one side is wrong is folly. Innocent people are being deported because this regime wants to boast about how they have deported a particular number of people. don’t know about you but this doesn’t make “America Great”. We should be better than this.
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well if he didn’t have to fix all the damage that Biden admin unleashed on this country this wouldn’t be an issue but whe you invited the worlds worst to come in and help themselves to everything then there is a line drawn and they can all go back where they came from no more free roam and living off the tax payers. Just look at England how well unvetted immigration works that’s why trump is stopping all of it now if you disagree with that maybe move to England where it’s totally messed up and welcome
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So Trump’s inept policies are Biden’s fault. Glad you have clarified that.
No I won’t be moving any more than you moved when Biden (or Obama for that matter) was President. Quite honestly, suggesting someone leave the county over policy disagreements is a lame position for anyone to take.
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your comments are like flatulence in the wind the bad smell goes away soon. Then quit crying about a president that’s done more for the country than any in many many years
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The voters will be the jury on Trump’s preformance and the trendline isn’t favorable. Watch the election result from TN 7th Congressional District. While the GOP will probably retain the seat, Trump won it by 22% in 2024. If the GOP wins by anything less that 20% that will say something about something.
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