Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona found himself at the center of a storm of criticism following a social media post in which he expressed his condolences to the families of two West Virginia National Guardsmen who were tragically shot in Washington, D.
C.
Kelly described the incident as "horrific" and extended his gratitude to the first responders for apprehending a suspect. His remarks came in the wake of a now-deleted post from the Associated Press and after he, along with other Democrats, released a video urging military personnel to defy orders from President Donald Trump.
According to Breitbart, the timing of Kelly's comments coincided with the shooting of three individuals, including the two National Guardsmen, in the nation's capital. Kelly's post read, "This is horrific. Im thinking of the families of these two National Guard members who lost their lives while serving the day before Thanksgiving. Thank you to the first responders whove brought a suspect into custody."
The controversy surrounding Kelly's remarks was further fueled by a press release dated November 13, in which Kelly, alongside Senators Elissa Slotkin, Tammy Duckworth, and Richard Blumenthal, introduced the "No Troops in Our Streets Act." This legislative proposal aimed to restrict the Trump administration's authority to deploy the National Guard within American communities. The move was met with criticism from conservative voices who accused the Democrats of inciting defiance against the President's orders.
Podcaster Tim Pool highlighted the tension, stating, "Democrats and liberal pundits have been claiming the trumps deployment order is illegal since they were deployed," and accused them of encouraging defiance of "illegal orders." Kenny Cody, opinion editor for Human Events, went further, asserting, "Youve got blood on your hands, Mark."
Conservative commentator Jack Posobiec demanded Kelly "resign in disgrace," while Blake Masters, a former Arizona Republican U.S. Senate candidate, criticized the video for falsely suggesting the President was issuing unlawful orders.
In a related statement, Senator Slotkin expressed her condolences on social media, saying she was "sending prayers and strength to the friends, families and fellow guardsmen of the two West Virginians who were shot." The incident has sparked a broader debate about the role of the National Guard and the implications of political rhetoric on military obedience and public safety.
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