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Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., invoked the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a Friday interview and suggested that President Donald Trump’s recent remarks about “sedition” charges against Democrats could encourage political violence.
“You are not to follow illegal orders. It was pretty basic, and the president’s first instinct is to politicize this, to threaten political violence on members of the United States Congress,” Kelly said on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe.”
“It was just two months ago, that Charlie Kirk was assassinated — and he talked about political violence — and now his instinct is to call for our execution,” Kelly said of Trump.
TRUMP DEFENDS ‘PUNISHABLE BY DEATH’ COMMENT, CALLS DEMOCRATS’ MILITARY VIDEO ‘SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR’
Sen. Mark Kelly appeared on “Morning Joe” Friday, criticizing President Donald Trump’s “sedition” comments and saying the rhetoric encourages political violence against lawmakers. (Screenshot/MS NOW)
Kirk was shot and killed Sept. 10 on the campus of Utah Valley University. His death prompted condemnation across the political spectrum, with several commentators calling it part of a growing pattern of political violence.
Kelly’s comments come after Trump’s criticism of a group of Democratic lawmakers — including Kelly — who posted a video urging military members to defy “illegal” orders. The video, released Tuesday by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., has gained over 17 million views on X.
On Thursday, Trump repeatedly responded to the lawmakers’ video, calling it “dangerous” for the country. In one post, he wrote, “This is really bad, and dangerous to our country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???”
In a follow-up post, he added, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
Democrats, including Kelly, quickly criticized the comments, arguing the president appeared to call for violence against the six lawmakers involved. Kelly also reiterated his message to troops, saying service members should raise concerns through their chain of command if they believe an order is illegal.
Sen. Mark Kelly walks through the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., on March 27, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“I think they need to talk to their leadership, talk to their commanding officer about it,” Kelly said when asked what advice he had for troops.
“Tell your commanding officer why you think this may be illegal. There are lawyers within the military, the Judge Advocate General Corps.”
Trump rejected accusations that he was calling for violence against Democrats. Speaking on Fox News Radio’s “Brian Kilmeade Show” Friday, he said his posts were not meant to stoke violence.
“I’m not threatening them, but I think they’re in serious trouble,” he said.
“In the old days, if you said a thing like that, that was punishable by death,” Trump added, arguing he believes the lawmakers “broke the law.”
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The White House rapid response team also responded to Kelly’s MS NOW appearance on X, writing: “Sen. Mark Kelly — without providing an example of a single ‘illegal order’ President Trump has given — runs to the Fake News to sow distrust within the military of the Commander-in-Chief. Total scumbag.”
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