Ty Cobb: Judge ‘Excoriated Hegseth’ Over Attempt to ‘Stifle the First Amendment Privileges’

Former White House lawyer Ty Cobb sharply criticized Fox News host Pete Hegseth and the Department of Defense, recounting how U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, D.C., excoriated them just yesterday for attempting to "stifle the First Amendment privileges" of retired astronaut and Navy veteran Mark Kelly.

Cobb highlighted Kelly's distinguished service, noting that the veteran had "flown 39 combat missions and four space shuttles and served the country for decades." According to Cobb, Kelly and his "congressional colleagues"—whom he referred to as the "congressional six"—faced charges for "truthfully explaining in the terms that exist in the uniform code of military conduct" that service members are not obligated to follow illegal orders, particularly when asked to commit war crimes.

The judge dismissed the case against them, effectively kicking the defendants "out of court," Cobb said. He predicted that Hegseth and the Department of Defense's efforts to return and defend themselves on "additional grounds" would ultimately fail.

Cobb tied these events to broader First Amendment concerns, also citing the case of former CNN anchor Don Lemon as a "flagrant First Amendment violation." He described how the magistrate before whom Lemon appeared threw out the government's request to indict him "only a few days ago or a week or more ago." Cobb added that a federal judge on appeal ruled similarly, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals refused to honor the government's attempt.

Despite these setbacks, Cobb noted that prosecutors later secured a grand jury indictment against Lemon. In contrast, he emphasized the "congressional six" case, where "not a single grand jury juror is reported to have voted in favor of indictment," calling it "highly unusual" and "unprecedented in America" for no grand juror to vote for a true bill.

Cobb pointed to prosecutors like Jeanine Pirro, whom he mocked for being unable to "indict a ham sandwich," and "miss Halligan in Virginia," who he said "attempted to indict Comey and James unsuccessfully by acting inappropriately." He characterized such figures as "Trump sycophants."

These comments from Cobb underscore ongoing tensions over First Amendment protections in legal battles involving high-profile media figures and veterans speaking out on military conduct.