Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a retired U.S. Navy fighter pilot, told NPR it ‘just doesn’t make any sense’ that he could face a court-martial after appearing in a video with other Democratic lawmakers reminding active-duty service members they are not required to follow unlawful orders. The Pentagon is investigating him for possible violations of military law over the video, which was released amid legal questions about the Trump administration’s use of National Guard troops in U.S. cities. President Trump called the senators’ video ‘seditious behavior, punishable by DEATH,’ language the White House later sought to dial back. Speaking on NPR’s All Things Considered, Kelly said that rhetoric amounted to declaring ‘that loyalty to the Constitution is punishable by death.’ He reiterated that urging troops to obey the Constitution should not be treated as criminal conduct and said the prospect of court-martialing someone for such remarks ‘doesn’t make any sense.’
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