WASHINGTON ― Two Republican senators spoke up in defense of their Democratic colleague, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, as the Trump administration seeks to punish him in response to a video he recorded last week, noting the military can defy illegal orders.
“Senator Kelly valiantly served our country as an aviator in the U.S. Navy before later completing four space shuttle missions as a NASA astronaut,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) wrote in a social media post on Tuesday. “To accuse him and other lawmakers of treason and sedition for rightfully pointing out that servicemembers can refuse illegal orders is reckless and flat-out wrong.”
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The moderate GOP senator added, “The Department of Defense and FBI surely have more important priorities than this frivolous investigation.”
Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah), a conservative who replaced Mitt Romney in the Senate, wrote: “I respect Mark Kelly and value his friendship.”
He went on to add, “I know him as someone whose career has been defined by service. His record as a combat naval aviator and NASA astronaut reflects his example of the discipline and dedication that are important for success.”
The Department of Defense said earlier this week it is reviewing “serious allegations of misconduct” against the Arizona senator, who is a decorated U.S. Navy veteran, and suggested he could face a court-martial. On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked the Navy secretary to review Kelly’s comments in the video for “potentially unlawful conduct.”
“I’m not backing down,” Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said Tuesday after the Pentagon opened an investigation into his comments to the military. via Associated Press
Kelly has faced a barrage of attacks from President Donald Trump, who said he and the other five Democratic lawmakers who participated in the video message to servicemembers were guilty of “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH.” The president then shared a post online calling for their hanging.
The FBI has also gotten involved by seeking to interview Kelly and the other Democratic lawmakers with its own probe, another highly unusual move in this saga.
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It’s unclear whether any of these efforts will succeed since lawmakers are protected by the speech and debate clause of the U.S. Constitution, which shields members of Congress from being questioned or arrested for their official legislative actions.
Appearing on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Tuesday, Kelly called Hegseth “totally unqualified” for the job of defense secretary.
“And from what I can tell in talking to some of my Republican colleagues, I mean, he just wants to please the president,” Kelly said of Hegseth, who was narrowly confirmed by the Senate after allegations of alcohol abuse and misconduct.
“I’m not backing down,” Kelly told the late night host. “We said something very simple: Members of the military need to follow the law. We wanted to say that we have their backs. His response? Kill them.”
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Kelly was first elected to the Senate in 2020, winning a special election to fill the remainder of the late Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) term. He was considered a potential running mate for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election and is widely viewed as a possible 2028 Democratic presidential contender.
Trump’s threats have only served to elevate Kelly within the Democratic Party. He’s since appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” over the weekend, as well as several cable news programs that are popular with liberal viewers, including ABC’s Kimmel, and MSNOW’s Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes, and Joe Scarborough.
Despite his promises to end the “weaponization” of law enforcement during the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump has ordered the Department of Justice to pursue many of his perceived enemies. In recent months, the DOJ has brought criminal charges against three prominent critics of the president, though a judge this week dismissed two of those cases.
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