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Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., warned military members Monday that “there will be consequences” if they allowed Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., to be court-martialed.
Gallego reacted to the Department of War’s announcement earlier that day on X that it launched a formal review into allegations of misconduct against Kelly, a retired Navy captain, over his role in a controversial video urging service members to “refuse illegal orders” from President Donald Trump.
Gallego told CNN’s Kasie Hunt he has faith in the U.S. military and the justice system to handle the case properly, adding that officers know there would be fallout if they tried to “railroad” Kelly.
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“Donald Trump is going to be gone in a couple of years,” Gallego said. “And if you’re part of the military that is going after sitting senators, sitting members of Congress, and part of the weaponization of government, there will be consequences, without a doubt.”
He added, “I think there’s going to be a lot of officers that will be part of this potential tribunal, if they want to call it that, that will be looking over their shoulders. Because they know that Donald Trump will be gone and they will not have that protection. They’re going to have to do the safest thing possible, which is follow the Constitution of the United States, and you’ll be fine.”
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Gallego defended the video featuring Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers, saying he has heard from military officers “concerned” about the president’s actions.
“Also, you‘re just seeing things that aren‘t very normal,” Gallego said. “You have the Marines who are walking around Los Angeles. You have National Guardsmen coming from different states into other states, even though those governors did not request that. You have a politicization of the military, that has never been seen before until this president has done it. And then, you also hear the president saying things that are, on its face, illegal.”
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He also cited Trump’s recent strikes against Venezuela without offering Congress information, though he did not refer to them as “illegal.” Gallego reminded people that they did not have to follow “illegal orders.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Gallego’s office for comment.
When reached for comment, the Department of War referred back to the original statement made on X.
The article was updated to include the Department of War’s response for comment.
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