Sen. Mark Kelly Stands Firm on Military Orders

Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) has stated that he will “not back away” from urging U.S. military personnel to disregard what he calls “unlawful orders” from former President Donald Trump, although he admitted that he can’t specifically identify what those orders are.

During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, the senator, who previously served as a Navy captain, discussed his call for military members to potentially refuse commands issued by the president.

“I can’t keep track of what he’s saying. But here’s the thing: I’m not backing down. We said something very straightforward: service members need to follow the law. We wanted to show our support for them. His response? Threats,” Sen. Kelly remarked on the show.

This commentary follows a video where Kelly, alongside five other Congressional members, urged military personnel to reject orders from their superiors. Along with Kelly, Senators and Representatives from Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Colorado were featured in the video.

Since the video was circulated online, the Trump administration and the Department of the Army have suggested that they may pursue court-martial proceedings against Kelly for what they call “allegations of gross misconduct.”

In his Kimmel appearance, Kelly responded to claims that his remarks violated military conduct, saying, “Here’s what they can do: go after me under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It’s a bit absurd because I was merely reiterating that code. It’s almost comical.” He added that he believes the Trump administration has acted against the U.S. Constitution.

Kelly expressed concerns over how this situation might impact the military and public sentiment, stating, “This effectively tells people to ‘shut up and listen.’ That’s not how our democracy functions. Everyone swore an oath to the Constitution, not a person. Trump seems intent on spreading fear, which can indeed be infectious, but so can courage and patriotism.”

He accused Trump of undermining democracy, claiming, “This is how democracy erodes. It aligns with authoritarian tactics—they suppress speech. We all have First Amendment rights, and I think the president is violating them. His message is clear: loyalty should lie with him, not the Constitution.”

However, on Rachel Maddow’s show, Kelly conceded that he could not point to a specific “unlawful order” given by Trump.