Trump Cheers General’s Support of Prosecuting Lawmakers Who Urged Military to Snub ‘Illegal’ Orders: ‘Do What Has To Be Done’

President Donald Trump doubled down on his administration’s military investigation of Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) in a late-night Truth Social post, cheering on a Navy general who agreed that a group of lawmakers’ public service announcement urging military members not to follow illegal orders was against U.S. law.

President Donald Trump’s Department of Defense, now known as the “Department of War,” announced last week that it was investigating Sen. Kelly, a retired Navy captain and former astronaut, following his appearance in the PSA alongside other prominent Democrats.

The Pentagon’s statement announcing the investigation said the proceedings “may include recall to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures.”

Trump posted in support of the investigation after its announcement, calling the lawmakers’ actions “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”

Trump’s most recent post came as a response to a statement about the proceedings from Kirk Lippold, a retired Navy General who appeared on Fox 5 News on the Hill.

Lippold, despite decrying the lawmakers’ video, told host Fox Fitzgerald that the Trump Administration had no legal basis for a court-martial of Kelly.

“When you retire at 20 years or more you serve in the inactive reserves and your entire period of time is 30 years. At that point, you’re totally a civilian,” said Lippold. “So there really is not going to be a basis or a legal basis to recall him [Kelly] to active duty.”

And while Lippold said the Trump administration has no basis for a sedition case against the lawmakers, he nevertheless supported some legal action, telling Fitzgerald that it was “clear that this video was a violation of U.S. law.”

In the larger perspective, there are laws that affect our nation. Ok if you– and I’m no lawyer– but if you go in and actually read what is called Title 18 Chapter 115 Section 2864 it says that sedition has to have violence accosted with it. So President Trump in saying it was involved in seditious activity, it actually wasn’t. But there’s actually a more important chapter that I’d like to just read real quick, and it basically says that actives affecting the armed forces– and this is in section 2387– it says “Whoever, with intent to interfere with, impair, or influence the loyalty, morale, or discipline of the military or naval forces and advises, counsels, or urges in any manner or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member can be fined or imprisoned up to ten years.” That’s a violation– clear that this video was a violation of U.S. law and that is something the Department of Justice should be looking into.

Trump’s post lauded Lippold’s invocation of the law, telling the commander he was “right on point.”

“There are laws that impact our Nation,” wrote Trump– seeming to quote Lippold. “Read Title 18, Chapter 115, Section 2387, “Whoever with the intent to interfere, impair, influence the loyalty, moral or discipline of the military and Naval Forces,……to be fined or imprisoned up to 10 years.” Commander Kirk Lippold, U.S. Navy, Ret. This is right on point.”

The president closed out his post with an undirected order: “DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE!!!”

Kelly has responded to the administration with force, telling CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday, “I’m not backing down. These guys don’t scare me.”

Watch above via Fox 5.