Former White House adviser and conservative commentator Steve Bannon wants an expedited review of Sen. Mark Kelly, telling Military.com that he expects the Arizona lawmaker to be imprisoned for remarks he made towards U.S. military members.
Bannon, in a phone conversation on Wednesday with Military.com, said that the punishment for Kelly and five other Democrats he refers to as the “seditious six” should be “severe” and time sensitive. Kelly and colleagues have been caught in a firestorm over remarks they made about the Trump administration and encouraging troops to refuse so-called illegal orders.
The other Democrats are Sen. Elissa Slotkin (MI) and House Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, and Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan, both of Pennsylvania.
Bannon, who served in the Navy for eight years, said he was “shocked” when he first saw the video. At first, he wasn’t even sure if the footage of the members of Congress openly messaging to active-duty service members was real.
“When I saw it at first, I thought somebody was messing around with AI,” Bannon said. “Then I realized it's true. I have no earthly idea why they did it. … It's insanity, and clearly they're trying to intrude into the chain of command. That's why there’s no defense.
“You have to take severe and dramatic action. And, I mean, for [Kelly], it's Leavenworth [Federal Correctional Facility in Kansas]. I think he's going to prison. I think Kelly's going to prison because it's so outrageous.”
Message to Hegseth, Pentagon
Bannon also wants Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Pentagon officials to move fast on the matter, rather than waiting until the almost mid-December deadline set to review all necessary information and justify whether legislators should be court-martialed.
“Pete, you’re secretary of frickin’ war,” Bannon said on Wednesday’s episode of his War Room podcast. “Recall this guy today. And let’s convene a court-martial Friday morning, 0800. And then have him in Leavenworth 0800 on Monday morning.”
According to a memo made public Tuesday by the Department of Defense, Hegseth ordered Navy Secretary John Phelan to investigate "potentially unlawful comments” and to report with findings by Dec. 10.
On Monday, the Pentagon announced it was launching “a thorough review” of allegations of misconduct against Kelly, a retired Navy captain and astronaut, for “serious allegations of misconduct.” That review has expanded to include the other Democrats who partook in and released the video last week.
“Those six, the seditious six, I don’t know why we went to Dec. 10th,” Bannon said on War Room. “It’s simple what they did. Just look at, recall Kelly. You want to send a shockwave to D.C.? They’re going to be cute. Like President Trump says, no games.
“So here’s no games: recall Kelly today. And let’s in fact tell the flag officers no long Thanksgiving weekend. Friday, you’re going to convene a court martial for him. And let’s roll, let’s get a verdict by Sunday. And let’s throw him in Leavenworth and throw him in prison by Monday. Let’s just roll, this is very simple. And then the other five are going to wet themselves and then start rolling them up. This is what has to happen.”
Bannon’s remarks on sedition echo those of President Donald Trump, who said following Democrats’ release of their video that their message could be construed as “seditious” and actions taken by “traitors.”
“In the old days, if you said a thing like that, that was punishable by death," Trump said.
Bannon agreed with Trump’s remarks, saying that the court-martial is going to have serious implications now.
“Are they going to get to the death penalty? I’m not a JAG lawyer, I think that is maybe a stretch,” Bannon told Military.com. “But when I say serious, I believe that Mark Kelly's going to Leavenworth.
“Plus, he's doubling down and tripling down. He's going on the shows. So no, this has got to be dealt with.”
Trump's 'Authoritarian' Administration
Kelly has maintained his resolve, saying in a statement Monday that he’s “given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”
In an appearance Tuesday on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, he made similar remarks.
“It is right out of the playbook, you know, the playbook of authoritarianism. That's what they do,” Kelly said. “They try to suppress speech. Every one of us has First Amendment speech rights, and I think the president is infringing on those and he is sending a pretty strong message.
“You do not want to cross him, and your loyalty should be to him. It should not. It should always be to the Constitution.”
