Stephen A. Smith Defends Criticism of Senator Mark Kelly

On Thursday, SiriusXM host Stephen A. Smith stood firm in his criticism of Democratic Arizona Senator Mark Kelly when “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin tried to prompt an apology. Smith had previously criticized Kelly for suggesting that military personnel disregard illegal orders from former President Donald Trump, given Kelly’s background as a former Navy fighter pilot.

When Hostin offered Smith a chance to reconsider his stance, he remained unapologetic. “If you’re doing something completely illegal and callous, there are consequences for that,” he stated. He reinforced that the military had declared it would not follow illegal orders from its commander-in-chief, which he felt was underscored by the secretary’s comments.

Smith asserted, “I haven’t changed anything.” He expressed his belief that talking about Kelly links back to military responsibility, having consulted friends and family who served. “This isn’t a courtroom,” Smith added, implying that it’s a different context altogether. He pointed out the troubling implications of a veteran encouraging others to ignore orders, raising the question of who gets to decide what should be disregarded.

During his show, he expressed frustration at the notion that Kelly’s stance was acceptable, suggesting the possibility of impeachment for the president if he overstepped. He emphasized, “We don’t tell our soldiers to ignore the orders of their commander-in-chief. We won’t do that!”

On November 18, Kelly and five other Democrats released a video urging military personnel to uphold the law and Constitution. The Army responded, noting that Kelly, even as a retired Navy captain, is still subject to military regulations and could be recalled.

On November 24, Secretary of the Army Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon was looking into Kelly’s comments, indicating that the matter would be handled appropriately. Meanwhile, Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, who was part of the video alongside Kelly, struggled to identify any illegal orders given by Trump during a recent interview.

In a separate post, Trump alleged that six Democrats had committed severe offenses during the presidential election, raising the stakes in this ongoing political discourse.