WASHINGTON ― Arizona’s two Democratic senators said they won’t be intimidated by the Trump administration after the Pentagon announced on Monday an investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) over a video he recorded calling on the military to disobey illegal orders.
“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, a U.S. Navy veteran, wrote in a post online. “I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”
Kelly flew combat missions during the Gulf War as a naval aviator before going on to serve as an astronaut. He received numerous military awards and retired at the rank of captain.
The Pentagon’s statement, which was 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.
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) reacted more bluntly to the news of the Pentagon investigation into his Democratic colleague.
“This is fucking insane. We should all point out how fucking insane this is,” Gallego said in a video he posted online on Monday.
“Mark Kelly is a patriot. He’s just doing his duty to remind people of their rights as service members,” he added. “Secretary Hegseth, all these guys ― fuck you guys, you’re not going to be able to scare us.”
The video recorded by Kelly and other Democratic lawmakers earlier this month incensed members of the Trump administration, including the president himself. Trump published a series of incendiary statements last week going after the six Democrats, including boosting a post that said, “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also referred to the lawmakers as the “Seditious Six,” calling their video “despicable, reckless, and false.” He added in a post online: “Encouraging our warriors to ignore the orders of their Commanders undermines every aspect of ‘good order and discipline.’”
Republican lawmakers have mostly stayed quiet as Trump has hurled invectives at the group of Democrats, leading to an increase of threats to their safety, including bomb threats against Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said in an interview with CBS News over the weekend that Trump’s rhetoric was “reckless, inappropriate [and] irresponsible.”
“It’s not something that is helping the country heal wounds. I think it stirs things up, and really, I think we can do better.”
