Sports journalist Stephen A. Smith, a Democrat who nonetheless sometimes espouses perspectives at odds with the Democratic Party, slammed Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) for participating in a video calling for military servicemembers to defy unlawful orders from their superiors.
Last week, a group of six Democrats, comprised of two senators and four members of the House, released an incendiary video in which they encouraged members of the military and intelligence community to disobey illegal orders they receive from the Trump administration.
Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), along with Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), and Jason Crow (D-CO), all former members of the military, encouraged military members to “refuse illegal orders.”
“The administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,” the Democrat lawmakers claimed. “Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, right now.”
The Democrats accused the Trump administration of disrespecting constitutional guardrails, continuing, “The threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home.”
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“Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders,” they pronounced, reiterating, “You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.”
Smith targeted Kelly, saying, “Respectfully, senator, what the hell are you doing looking into the camera and telling military men and women to ignore the commander-in-chief? How dare you? How dare you do that? That’s right, I’m calling it out.”
“I never served in the military,” he continued. “That’s true. I have family members who did. Some of my best friends have, Marines, Air Force, Navy, Army. I haven’t heard one of them, not one of them, say that was okay. How dare you do that?”
“Is it treason? No. Is it punishable by death? It shouldn’t be,” he said, in an apparent reference to President Donald Trump’s response to the video. “So the answer is no. But you know better, Senator Kelly. You know better! How dare you do that?! What are you supposed to do? You are a ranking senator. You could go to the Senate, you could go to the House, you could put up — draw up paperwork, you could try to start articles of impeachment if you think there’s something illegal.”
“I mean, damn, it ain’t like y’all haven’t done it before,” he pointed out. “You impeached the man twice. Where did that get you? Guy is behind, back in the White House. Had you left him alone in 2016 and 2020, maybe he wouldn’t be back terrorizing the Democratic Party the way that he is. But you did it! You did it! And here you are again with this nonsense. How dare you do that? I’m not a military person, and I know better than that! You don’t tell military men and women to ignore an order from the commander-in-chief. You don’t do that.”