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FILE - Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/John McDonnell, File)(AP/John McDonnell) FILE - Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/John McDonnell, File)(AP/John McDonnell) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon announced Monday it is investigating Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona over possible breaches of military law after the former Navy pilot joined a handful of other lawmakers in a video that called for troops to defy “illegal orders.” The Pentagon’s statement, posted on social media, cited a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty on orders of the defense secretary for possible court martial or other measures. It is extraordinary for the Pentagon, which until President Donald Trump’s second term had usually gone out of its way to act and appear apolitical, to directly threaten a sitting member of Congress with investigation. It comes after Trump ramped up the rhetoric by accusing the lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH” in a social media post days after the video was released last week. In its statement Monday, the Pentagon suggested that Kelly’s statements in the video interfered with the “loyalty, morale, or good order and discipline of the armed forces” by citing the federal law that prohibits such actions. “A thorough review of these allegations has been initiated to determine further actions, which may include recall to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures,” the statement said. Kelly said he upheld his oath to the Constitution and dismissed the Pentagon investigation as the work of “bullies.” “If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work,” Kelly said in a statement. What the lawmakers said in the video Kelly was one of six Democratic lawmakers who have served in the military or intelligence community to speak “directly to members of the military.” The other lawmakers are Sen. Elissa Slotkin and Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan, who are seen as possible future aspirants for higher office and elevated their political profiles with the video’s wide exposure. Kelly, who was a fighter pilot before becoming an astronaut and then retiring at the rank of captain, told troops that “you can refuse illegal orders,” while other lawmakers in the video said they needed troops to “stand up for our laws … our Constitution.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Kelly was facing investigation because he is the only one of the lawmakers who formally retired from the military and is still under the Pentagon’s jurisdiction. “Kelly’s conduct brings discredit upon the armed forces and will be addressed appropriately,” Hegseth said on his personal X account. Of the wider group, he added that “their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion — which only puts our warriors in danger.” Kelly and the other lawmakers didn’t mention specific circumstances in the video, but its release comes as the Trump administration has ordered the military to blow up small boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean accused of ferrying drugs and continues its attempts at deploying National Guard troops into U.S. cities despite some legal setbacks. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said last week that “our military follows orders, and our civilians give legal orders.” Other Senate Democrats came to Kelly’s defense, with Democratic leader Chuck Schumer accusing Trump of using the Pentagon “as his personal attack dog” and saying “this is what dictators do.” His fellow Democratic Arizona senator, Ruben Gallego, said “Mark told the truth — in America, we swear an oath to the Constitution, not wannabe kings.” What legal scholars say In the past decade,…

President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shake hands before their meeting at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)(AP/Mark Schiefelbein) President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shake hands before their meeting at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)(AP/Mark Schiefelbein) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday that he has accepted an invitation from Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit Beijing in April and that he reciprocated by inviting Xi for a state visit to the U.S. later next year. Trump made the announcement after he spoke with Xi by phone nearly a month after the two leaders met in person in South Korea, saying they discussed issues including Ukraine, fentanyl and purchases of American soybeans. “Our relationship with China is extremely strong!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. Beijing, which announced the phone call first, said nothing about the state visits but noted that the two leaders discussed trade, Taiwan and Ukraine. Xi told Trump that Taiwan’s return to mainland China is “an integral part of the postwar international order,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said — a crucial issue to Beijing that Trump did not mention in his post. The omissions from each side signal that sticking points remain for the two superpowers even as they highlight common ground following a series of talks to ease a trade war that has threatened the global economy. The conversation came as China-Japan relations have plunged to a new low following recent remarks from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. She said the military in Japan, a key U.S. ally, could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing says must come under its rule. “My best guess is China is worried about the escalation (in tensions) with Japan. The reference to Taiwan and the post-World War II order directly points to the spat with Japan over Taiwan,” said Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Washington-based think tank Stimson Center. “They also talked about Ukraine. That is an issue China is interested in due to the new peace negotiation.” China’s relations with Japan sour Beijing has denounced Takaichi’s remarks, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying over the weekend that Japan “crossed a red line that should not have been touched.” Xi told Trump on Monday that China and the U.S. should “jointly safeguard the victory of World War II” after they fought together against fascism. The U.S. has taken no side on the sovereignty of the self-governed island but is opposed to the use of force to seize Taiwan. It is obligated by a domestic law to provide sufficient hardware to the island to deter any armed attack. Trump has maintained strategic ambiguity about whether he would send U.S. troops in case of a war in the Taiwan Strait. His administration has urged Taiwan to increase its defense budget. Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it received official notification this month that the Trump administration approved $330 million in arms sales to Taiwan, including fighter jet parts. Beijing immediately protested, saying it “grossly violated” the so-called “One China” principle, by which Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of Chinese territory. Trump said nothing publicly about Taiwan, whereas the Chinese statement said Trump told Xi that the U.S. “understands how important the Taiwan question is to China.” Talk of Ukraine The phone call coincided with the latest push by the Trump administration to end the war in Ukraine. Xi expressed hope for a “fair, lasting and binding peace agreement” in Ukraine and said the crisis should be resolved “at its root,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Xi stressed Beijing’s support for “all efforts that are conducive to peace,” according to the statement. However, Western…