Court fight with Pentagon raises Senator Mark Kelly’s White House profile

WASHINGTON: A courtroom clash with US War Secretary Pete Hegseth is rapidly transforming Democratic Senator Mark Kelly into one of the most closely watched potential challengers to President Donald Trump ahead of the 2028 US presidential election. A federal appeals court on Thursday appeared sceptical of Pentagon efforts to punish the retired astronaut and Navy officer over remarks urging US troops to refuse illegal orders, with judges sharply questioning whether the government’s case could stand constitutional scrutiny. The case has taken on broader political significance in Washington, where Democrats are increasingly searching for figures capable of challenging Trump’s hardline political and security agenda. Kelly, 62, is a former US Navy combat pilot who flew missions during the 1991 Gulf War before joining Nasa as an astronaut. He later commanded multiple space shuttle missions, including the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2011. He studied at the US Merchant Marine Academy and earned a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. Kelly has since built a political profile in Arizona and nationally, and is now widely discussed in Washington political circles as a possible Democratic presidential contender. According to the magazine Politico, Kelly has raised more than $25 million in recent months, while also using the legal dispute to energise supporters and expand his national fundraising base. The dispute began after Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers — all with military or intelligence backgrounds — released a video last year warning against the politicisation of the US armed forces and reiterating that troops are not required to obey unlawful orders. US President Donald Trump reacted angrily, accusing the lawmakers of “seditious behaviour,” while the Pentagon later initiated proceedings that could have reduced Kelly’s military retirement rank and benefits. The case reached the US Court of Appeals for the D