Senator Mark Kelly Doubles Down On Warning Troops Against Illegal Orders, As Veterans In Congress Launch Bipartisan Probes Into Hegseth For War Crimes, and The Regime’s Ukraine “Peace Deal” Grift Exposed

There is true bravery in this resistance

Scott Dworkin Nov 30

Thanks so much for being here! I hope this weekend is treating you well.

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Let’s dive in.

AOC KEEPS DOING GOOD

Dem Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is once again showing folks how to use their power for good. Not only did her team of volunteers get together 3,000 backpacks full of supplies at the beginning of the school year, they also distributed 1,600 turkeys to feed thousands of folks over Thanksgiving.

And recently, AOC took part in a food distribution in the Bronx, giving out 1,500 pounds of produce and more.

AOC stated that due to Trump’s “cuts to SNAP, families are struggling to put food on the table. While we are incredibly grateful for our community partners ... we will continue fighting to restore SNAP benefits.” Good.

TRUMP’S BOGUS PEACE PLAN EXPOSED

The Wall Street Journal published a blistering report, titled: “Make Money Not War: Trump’s Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine.” In it, they reveal that the Trump regime is using the guise of these “peace talks” to conduct personal business.

The article reveals that this has never been about making peace—it’s about how Trump can grift off of war and the suffering of millions of people.

According to the WSJ, national security officials across Europe were even given a report containing “details of the commercial and economic plans the Trump administration had been pursuing with Russia, including jointly mining rare earths in the Arctic.” This is absolutely criminal.

PETE CAUGHT

Failing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is in deep trouble. It recently was leaked that Hegseth ordered a follow-up strike on an alleged drug boat, killing two people who survived the initial attack.

Ryan Goodman, an NYU law professor called it a “textbook war crime/extrajudicial killing.” While lawyer George Conway said: “It’s unquestionably an unlawful homicide under any form of law you wish to apply … Flat-out murder by any reasonable definition you can come up with.”

This is not a video game. This is real life. I know it’s hard for the soulless maga cult to understand that. But they’ll soon find out there are people who are going to do everything they can to hold Hegseth—and others—accountable.

VETS IN CONGRESS TO HEGSETH

Military Veterans in Congress did not take kindly to Hegseth’s reported actions. A bipartisan statement from the leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee—GOP Sen. Roger Wicker and Dem Sen. Jack Reed—said they’re opening a probe into the ordeal. Chairman Wicker (left) served in the Air Force, while Ranking Member Reed (right) served in the Army.

The House Armed Services Committee also announced they would be launching an investigation into the incident.

Dem Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who served in the Army National Guard, stated: “Our military—and our entire nation—would be stronger, safer and more secure if we had more patriotic leaders who respect the Constitution, like Sen. Mark Kelly—and fewer who are only in it for themselves, like Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth.”

In a note to Hegseth, Army Veteran and Dem Rep. Eugene Vindman (left) said: “You will be held accountable for illegal orders you give. This demands Congressional investigation, and the unredacted video of the strike and radio recordings of the orders given need to be shared with Congress and the American people immediately.”

While Dem Rep. Ted Lieu (right), who served in the Air Force, sent this to Hegseth: “I read the classified legal memo. Nothing in the memo, or military law, authorizes a second kinetic strike against defenseless survivors. If the reports are true, then a war crime was committed.”

Lieu also made it clear this was not going away for Hegseth anytime soon, adding: “There is generally no statute of limitations for war crimes.”

MARK KELLY DOUBLES DOWN

All of this news surrounding Hegseth giving illegal orders brings us back full circle to the Trump regime’s unwarranted attacks on Dem Sen. Mark Kelly. He is one of six military Veterans in Congress that released a video telling troops to not follow illegal orders.

While we don’t know how many illegal orders the Trump regime has given, it’s now clear that their brave message was more than justified. And Kelly is still standing firm, recently saying that a normal president would’ve just responded to the video with: “Of course.”

Kelly says the regime’s attacks are “an attempt to bully and silence me and the American people. But I’m not gonna stop. I’ve served this country my entire adult life … Trump and Hegseth have another thing coming if they think they can stop me from defending our freedoms, standing up for the military, and protecting the Constitution.”

That is an extremely powerful response from a true American patriot. An unshakable refusal to back down from the fight against Trump—just like we’ve refused to do for nearly a decade.

We’re taking a sledgehammer to maga propaganda and delivering the truth via our daily news briefs. Our activism arm, The Watchdog Coalition, has reached lawmakers over 535,000 times in the last year. And our social media presence is one of the largest in all of politics—which we use relentlessly to dominate the narrative online.

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Onward!

Scott

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I have two questions for you today.

Do you think Pete Hegseth committed war crimes?

What do you think about the brave military Veterans in Congress who are speaking out about Hegseth?

Leave a comment

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JUST A FEW COMMENTS: 

If you have not seen it yet, Joyce Vance and Ryan Goodman did a great Substack video this morning going into the legalities of what tRump and Hegseth have done. It is well worth a half hour of your time. The recording should be up later this afternoon. Check it out!

I need to hear you daily as I contend with our constant, deceitful illusions of prosperity & what MAGA portends & MUST be stopped!

It’s a crime that Kegsbreath is even the Secretary of Defense. His actions aren’t defensive, they’re offensive to the rules of law.

"Do you think Pete Hegseth committed war crimes?"

I watched Joyce Vance's Substack Live with Ryan Goodman this morning. (The recording is not yet posted to her Substack https://joycevance.substack.com/)

It boiled down to being either a War Crime (if the attack met the standards of being an act of war) and/or murder. Case law is absolutely clear that the second strike on the survivors is totally illegal.

It was mentioned that many experts believe that there were too many people on the boat to have been solely a drug-smuggling operation and that likely some of them were victims of human trafficking.

Goodman also pointed out that during Trump 1.0, the US Senate (including Mario Rubio) widely condemned Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte when he committed "extra-judicial" killings in his so-called "War on Drugs". Trump, however, was a fan of Duterte's tough-on-crime stance at the time. Duterte was another one of Trump's bromances with dictators.

Duterte is currently facing charges of crimes against humanity for his alleged involvement in dozens of killings.

www.yahoo.com/news/articles/icc-judges-rule-provisional-release-042102451.html

Gotta love AOC showing us how it’s done.

THIS IS COMMUNITY & CARING! This is what AMERICA stands for! 

Communities across the nation pulled together to make up for TRUMP'S CRUELTY.

When PARTS OF TEXAS lost power, AOC led the caravans from across the country that brought FOOD, WATER, BLANKETS & supplies to care for those in need, while TED escaped to CANCUN & Gov. Missing In Action disappeared. 

TRUMP & MAGA would remain silent as people are HUNGRY, have no LIHEAP to warm their homes, eliminate housing subsidies to increase HOMELESSNESS, eliminate HEALTHCARE....

BIG BEAUTIFUL DISASTER increased DEBT & DEFICITS, destroying the nation's ECONOMY, destroying the CREDIT WORTHINESS of the US....

MAGA HATE, BIGOTRY & DIVISIVENESS is drowning, along with FOX NEWS = FAKE NEWS LIARS! No nation built on HATE will survive. 

Mike's position matches that of Ryan Goodman during Joyce Vance's livestream this morning. There is still debate around whether the attack was an act of war, so the answer is nuanced. But there is no doubt that it was totally illegal.

The recording is not yet posted, but you should be able to find it here later:

https://joycevance.substack.com/

Hegseth really seems to be a case of arrested development. He never graduated from GI JOE dolls.

He thinks this is all a video game he’s playing while drunk at his frat house. It’s disgusting he is Secretary of Defense. Trump never should have been on the ballot in 2024 (fault of the entire Republican Party who fought tooth and nail to get an insurrectionist and convicted felon onto the ballot and every voter and millionaire and billionaire who put him in office). Trump never should have nominated Hegseth. The Senate never should have confirmed Hegseth. Hegseth’s actions to date (going way back to Signalgate) should have led to his removal already. Republicans in Congress who continue to shield this lawless regime have failed America at every step. Long past time for them to do the right thing!! 

We all need to be calling out GOP senators who confirmed Hegseth espite knowing he was absolutely unqualified. I have repeatedly told mine that they are complicit in every illegal action Hegseth has committed.

I agree with "the entire bombing murders of "narcoterrorist" boats and their crews (with no proof or due process) already qualify." Everyone involved in that is a murderer.

My Pennsylvania senators Fetterman (D) and McCormick (R) both responded to my letters that they approve of Trump blowing up boats up because anything to stop drugs is worth it. McCormick graduated from West Point. Guess he skipped class when they talked about illegal orders.

Right, why was he not investigated after “Signalgate”

Not only is Hegseth completely unqualified for his position as God of War... I mean Secretary of Defense, but he is undoubtedly a war criminal and will continue to commit atrocities if he is not removed from that position.

More veterans and active duty military must join Sen. Kelly and others and stand up to and against the traitorous trump regime... right now!

There were MANY CREDIBLE REPORTS of DRUNKEN PETE going on air DRUNK, as well as the questionable accusation regarding drugging a woman & raping her. 

Fires experienced MILITARY LEADERS.

Now he's attacking the BOY SCOUTS? 

MAGA GOP don't like to investigate or ask questions. 

TRUMP likes the PROPAGANDA BOOBS from the PROPAGANDA NETWORK...now we have incompetent JEANINE PIRRO who thinks she's an attorney. 

BEAUTY QUEEN Lindsey Halligan? 

Wasted COURT TIME trying to convict the WILTED SUBWAY SALAMI MAN?

Rejecting federal overreach, a federal jury acquits the "Sandwich Man," Sean Dunn

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/11/7/2352624/-Damning-federal-overreach-a-federal-jury-acquits-the-Sandwich-Man-Sean-Dunn

Watching Face the Nation, I’m appalled at Rep Turner’s denial that Trump 1.0 cut a deal with the Taliban to withdraw US from Afghanistan by May 2021, instead blaming the Biden administration for allowing the Taliban to return to power. But I’m inspired by Senator Tim Kaine’s comments demanding Congress investigate the undeclared war on Venezuela and opposing Trump’s proposed pardon of Maduro, convicted in a US court for massive drug trafficking—revealing Trump’s hypocrisy.

Correction: Trump proposed pardoning convicted felon Hernandez of Honduras, not Maduro of Venezuela! My error.

Yes Kegsbreath, seal team 6 ( who should have known better)

The orange piggy pedo felon, because the command starts at the top down.

The commanding general.

All of them. Heinous crimes/actual murder. I have said this since the first boat was blown up.

Of course the orange piggy pedo felon is burning bridges. Bigly. Rapidly.

I do not think that congress especially the house has reacted fast enough. They and the senate have been so complicit in doing nothing to stop this entire fiasco.

Glad they are doing something now.

AOC, I went to one of her and Bernie’s rallies this year. She is on fire. In a good way.

Just think she is a WOC, a woman and she doesn’t back down. She puts her money where her mouth is.

I so hope she primaries Schumer for the senate seat.

Not a question, however, Schumer has to go—-yesterday.

I was talking to a bartender in Barcelona and asked her if I might ask if she knows whats going on in America and if so, what did she think. She said she's been to the United States and it felt like all anyone did was work, work, work. She also thought we were unhealthy because our medical system wasn't "for the people". And then she said... Trump is trying to be like Hitler.

I tipped her. 👏👏👏👏

Hegseth has committed multiple war crimes against humanity. This instance of his orders to murder two survivors after the initial attack is just ONE instance out of many. Hegseth is unfit to be Secretary of Defense. He never was qualified.

His appointment by Trump simply demonstrates the ineptitude and corrupt nature of Trump. Trump cannot be anything but what he is- a cheat and fraudulent con-man. Trump is not a leader. He ignores our constitution, proclaims himself king through his treasonous actions - and non-actions- and he puts all Americans at risk.

The entire administration must be held accountable. Every last one of them.

My praise of the elected officials who bravely sent a powerful and supportive message to our armed forces does not belong on the same page as my admonition of Hegseth and Trump’s administration. But, at the same time, I would like to end on a very positive note. They are all patriots deserving of our support and praise. A very personal thank you to the members of Congress who have bravely put themselves out there for the sake of our Democracy. History will look kindly at your courage, and praise you for the role you played in protecting and defending our U.S. Constitution. Thank you…. Thank you.

Hegseth is an alcoholic moron, committing outrageous war crimes against innocent people! He needs to be removed from office and imprisoned for the rest of his life! Also, the Military War Veterans had the absolute right to speak out against what Hegseth ordered! They will go down in history as the remarkable Military War Veterans!