Sen Mark Kelly hesitates to call Trump’s Venezuela strikes ‘illegal’
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D-Ariz., who previously appeared in a viral video urging soldiers to refuse what he called “illegal orders.” Sen. Mark Kelly hesitated Tuesday to join Democratic lawmakers in calling U.S. military strikes in Venezuela “illegal.”
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump announced a successful military operation in Caracas that included the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Following the attack, many progressive Democrats condemned Trump’s operation as illegal and a potentially impeachable offense.
But Kelly stopped short of agreeing with those assessments during an appearance on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper.”
MARK KELLY Pressed He Wouldn’t Refuse Orders If He Were Still In Uniform
Some Democratic lawmakers have claimed that President Donald Trump’s Venezuela operation is “illegal” and an impeachable offense. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
“So what we were talking about in the video was that a soldier has to be given a certain order and decide whether it is legal or not,” Kelly replied. “And that’s similar to the reasonable person theory. What you’re referring to here are constitutional questions. Can a president apply law enforcement to a head of state and use 150 planes and the full force of the U.S. military to do it? So those are two different things.”
“Maduro is a bad guy, and it’s a good thing he’s gone. Apparently this president, because he has no plan other than removing Maduro, has now appointed Delcy Rodriguez as Maduro’s No. 2. You know, in the Navy, that’s what we call a quick run when the executive officer becomes the commander. That’s what we have in Venezuela right now. And I don’t think they have a plan for what that’s going to be next.”
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Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., was part of a viral video urging soldiers to “reject illegal orders.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital has reached out to Kelly’s office for comment.
Kelly was one of six Democratic lawmakers who participated in a viral video telling service members, “You may refuse illegal orders” or “You must refuse illegal orders.” Lawmakers, including Kelly, did not cite examples of orders they believed were illegal.
On Monday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that Kelly would receive a formal letter of reprimand and that he had directed Secretary of the Navy John Phelan to review the retired Navy captain’s retirement rank and pay and make a recommendation within 45 days.
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Monday that former Navy captain Sen. Mark Kelly will receive a formal letter of reprimand. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Six weeks ago, Senator Mark Kelly and five other members of Congress released a reckless and inflammatory video clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline,” Hegseth said in a statement to Fox News Digital. he said.
“As a retired Navy captain who still receives a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he still has a responsibility to military justice. The War Department and the American people also expect justice.”
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Fox News’ Bonny Chu and Lorraine Taylor contributed to this report.
