Mark Kelly, Whose Wife Was Nearly Assassinated, Concerned for Family’s Safety After Trump Threat
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) told Morning Joe on Friday that he’s worried about the safety of his family and staff in the wake of President Donald Trump’s threatening posts calling him and other Democratic lawmakers “traitors” who should be hanged.
On Thursday, Trump posted to Truth Social that a video the lawmakers made to remind military members they can refuse “illegal orders” amounted to “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH.”
Host Joe Scarborough pointed out that “generals, admirals, other people who have led men and women into battle, all say the same thing: that the last thing you want is to have troops who think that they can obey illegal orders.”
Kelly, who served as a naval officer and astronaut, emphasized, “Well, it’s in the Uniform Code of military justice.”
“It clearly outlines that you have to follow legal orders,” Kelly continued. “That’s a requirement. Somebody gives you an illegal or unlawful order, you’re not to follow it. I think the president’s statement also is evidence of why we needed to say this. I mean, he immediately goes to something that is clearly not within the realm of our legal systems, talking about sedition because we said something, and now we should be executed.”
Kelly then spoke of the safety of his family, especially in the wake of the 2011 assassination attempt on his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ).
“You know, my family has, suffered from political violence,” Kelly said. “My wife, Gabby Giffords, was nearly assassinated — shot in the head at a political event. We have rising political violence in this country, even the president — two assassination attempts. He should understand that…his words have significant weight with the American people. And people react to things that he say, he says. So this kind of language is dangerous and it’s wrong.”
When asked more about his family’s safety, Kelly maintained, “I’m not going to get into my specific security arrangements, but it would be irresponsible for me not to consider that [Trump’s] words result in increased threats to myself, even to my staff, to my family. So it would be a rather irresponsible thing for us not to consider this seriously.”
Many of the lawmakers who posted the video said they were worried for their safety after the president lashed out. In addition to Kelly, the participating lawmakers included Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), as well as Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO) Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA).
Watch the clip above via Morning Joe on MS NOW.
