GOP Senators Defend Mark Kelly As Pentagon Seeks To Punish Him

“I’m not backing down,” Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said after the Pentagon opened an investigation into his comments directed at the military.

WASHINGTON ― Two Republican senators spoke up in defense of their Democratic colleague, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, as the Trump administration seeks to punish him in response to a video he recorded last week, noting the military can defy illegal orders.

“Senator Kelly valiantly served our country as an aviator in the U.S. Navy before later completing four space shuttle missions as a NASA astronaut,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) wrote in a social media post on Tuesday. “To accuse him and other lawmakers of treason and sedition for rightfully pointing out that servicemembers can refuse illegal orders is reckless and flat-out wrong.”

The moderate GOP senator added, “The Department of Defense and FBI surely have more important priorities than this frivolous investigation.”

Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah), a conservative who replaced Mitt Romney in the Senate, wrote: “I respect Mark Kelly and value his friendship.”

He went on to add, “I know him as someone whose career has been defined by service. His record as a combat naval aviator and NASA astronaut reflects his example of the discipline and dedication that are important for success.”