Sen. Mark Kelly: Trump and Hegseth don't 'understand the Constitution'

Sen. Mark Kelly: Trump and Hegseth don't 'understand the Constitution.'

Sen. Mark Kelly: Trump and Hegseth don't 'understand the Constitution.'The United States is part of something called the Five Eyes. Oh, it's five countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The Five Eyes countries share intelligence in a relatively seamless way.

It's an arrangement that began in World War I. It's still going strong today, and it's really, really important. The members of the Five Eyes like to describe it as the oldest and most important intelligence alliance in the world.

It's literally decades of these five countries, these five like-minded nations freely sharing intelligence with each other on, you know,

everything from Soviet spy terror plots to drug trafficking and everything in between. Quote, "The UK is no longer sharing intelligence with the US on suspected drug smuggling ships in the Caribbean

because it doesn't want to be involved in US military strikes and it believes those strikes are illegal." CNN broke the news of the UK’s suspension of intelligence sharing,

which comes a year after Veterans Day, according to a report this month by the UKFA. The number of locations in the Caribbean where these intelligence assets are based

has helped the U.S. locate suspected drug-carrying vessels so the U.S. Coast Guard can track them down.” The U.K.’s decision is a significant break from its close and intelligence-sharing partner

and signals growing skepticism about the legality of the U.S. military’s campaign around Latin America. The skepticism isn’t just coming from our allies, though.

It’s also coming from within the U.S. military. The senior military lawyer for Southern Command, which is the combatant command that oversees all the attacks on, you know, fishing boats that Trump keeps making in the region.

This senior JAG officer allegedly told his superiors that the attacks on these boats were illegal. Boothe was allegedly overruled and then sidelined from the decision-making process within that combatant command.

NBC News reported that the JAG, the military lawyer for Southern Command, specifically expressed concern that attacks on boat people in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific could amount to extrajudicial killings.

Longtime allies are withdrawing from sharing intelligence with us because they believe Trump’s orders on these boat attacks are illegal

And if U.S. military lawyers, senior U.S. military lawyers with expertise in the field and the region, if they are being fired for saying that Trump’s orders on these boats are illegal,

then why is there this disconnect among some former members of Congress? Intelligence officers decided to release this video about the possibility that Trump is giving illegal military orders. We want to speak directly to members of the military and intelligence community who risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe.

Like us, you are sworn to protect and defend this Constitution. And right now, the threats to our Constitution are not just from abroad, but from right here at home. Coming.

Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders. You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. It seems

The video has struck a nerve with President Donald Trump, who responded by saying that these lawmakers have committed treason, punishable by death.

He is calling for the death penalty for members of Congress who say that U.S. service members must refuse illegal orders, which is actually true of U.S. military service members under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The Pentagon says it is reviewing serious allegations of misconduct against Senator Kelly and could recall him to active duty for court-martial proceedings.

Joining him for his first TV interview as the Pentagon is threatened is Senator Mark Kelly, Democrat of Arizona, a retired Navy captain and, of course, a NASA astronaut.

Senator Kelly, yours tonight. It's an honor to be here. Thank you. Rachel, thank you for having me. Let me first just get your response to the threat from the defense departments

that they're investigating you. They could potentially recall you to inactive duty to face a court-martial. Well, Rachel, I said something that was very simple and uncontroversial, and that was that military members should follow the law.

And in response, Donald Trump said, "I should be hanged, I should be hanged, I should be tried, he even said something about going ahead and taking them.

I think they're sending a mob to get other people and me. I'm not going to be intimidated. When you and your colleagues made this video, were you thinking about

why you guys would get together and do this? It's very simple, and if you go back to 2016, you know they were going to take some action,

and while talking about it, he was reminded by the moderator that it's illegal, that the military wouldn't be able to carry out these orders, and in response, Donald Trump refused to talk about the military order.

People, the citizens of this country, now, thankfully, Mark Esper, oh, explained to him that this is talking about an act of insurrection, sending the military into American cities,

and the American We want to be simple here for the training of citizens. Remind people that they have to obey the law, and also let members of the military know that we know that's part of our job.

This is the federal government's response, and it told the world that we want to ask you about it. At the top of this piece, the video that you made with your colleagues,

What does it mean if I'm an enlisted service member, maybe I'm illegal, or I've received this advice, if they're thinking about it, what do they mean?

Practical terms about facing a potentially illegal order from the Commander-in-Chief? Well, I spent 25 years in the United States Navy, and I started by saying

I've never given you an order. I follow an illegal and I can understand that it's an unlawful order, but I think it's important for people to know that they stand up

And they say there is nothing more patriotic than standing up for the Constitution, yet right now, this week, the President is clearly not doing so.

The six Democratic lawmakers who have made these statements that have upset the president. Um, he's coming after you. Um, at least he's coming after you first.

Do you have any idea why he brought you together like that? I don't know. We want to ask him that question. Um, it could be, it could be Pete Hegseth,

I don't know, you know, and if any other president, you know, had done this, I would have been really shocked, but when I saw that tweet today, it was kind of pointless.

I mean, these two guys, they reported it to me in a tweet because it's not about the law. It's about media hype, and it's about intimidation.

And it's almost the whole thing is almost ridiculous. Like how does the UCMJ recitation, what is it, which is the Uniform Code of Military Justice? We basically reiterated the Uniform Code of Military Justice,  and they're saying

that this is a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It's ridiculous. Um, I hear you when you say it's ridiculous. Um, and that it's almost ridiculous,

but also that it's intended to intimidate. I just have to ask you on a human level, Senator. Um, you and your family have dealt with more than your fair share of sacrifices for this country and your trials and tribulations.

I just have to ask, um, even though I hear you say you're not afraid, this must be a source of pressure for you and your family. I just have to ask

what impact is this having on you and your loved ones? Rachel, I've had a missile fly by my plane. And I've been shot down, almost shot down, several times.

I've flown a rocket ship four times, built by the lowest bidder. Andy's wife, Gabby Giffords, was shot in the head while meeting with her allies,

killing six people around her. Oh, that was horrible. She spent six months in the hospital. Oh, we know what political violence is, and we also know what causes it.

You know, the statements that Donald Trump makes are insightful;  they provoke others. He has millions of supporters. People listen to what he says more than anyone else in the country.

And he should be careful with his words, but I'm not going to be quiet here. Uh, is this stressful? You know, I'm stressed out by more important things than Donald Trump

that they're trying to intimidate me into keeping my mouth shut and not doing my job. He didn't like what I said. I'm going to go to work every day, I'm going to support the Constitution, I'm going to do my job,

I'm going to hold this administration accountable. I'm going to hold this president accountable when they step out of line. Um, that's the responsibility of every U.S. senator and every member of Congress. He's not going to silence us.

Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona. Sir, thank you very much for your time and for coming here tonight to answer your questions. I really appreciate it,