In a stunning display of political posturing that undermines both the Commander-in-Chief and the integrity of the United States Armed Forces, senior Arizona Democrat Senator Mark Kelly issued a veiled threat of prosecution to the very service members he once served alongside. During an interview on ABC’s This Week with host Martha Raddatz, Senator Kelly, attempting to cast doubt on the legality of President Donald Trump’s decisive actions to annihilate drug boats in the Caribbean, explicitly stated that the administration was “putting young service members at great, legal jeopardy.” This rhetoric, parroted by the liberal media, is a transparent attempt to foster insubordination and fear within the ranks by suggesting that following lawful orders from their President could lead to criminal charges under a future Democrat administration.
The interview transcript reveals the depth of Senator Kelly’s opposition to protecting American citizens from the scourge of fentanyl and other narcotics. When pressed by Raddatz on the legality of the strikes, Kelly responded, “It’s questionable. And the White House and the Department of Defense could not give us a logical explanation on how this is legal. They were tying themselves in knots trying to explain this.” This narrative, eagerly amplified by the mainstream press, ignores the established legal precedent for such actions and the clear and present danger these narco-terrorist organizations pose to American national security. The liberal media’s fixation on hypothetical legal “jeopardy” for our warriors stands in stark contrast to their silence on the very real and fatal jeopardy every American faces from the drug crisis enabled by these cartels.
Meanwhile, Kelly’s fellow Arizona Democrat, Senator Ruben Gallego, escalated the inflammatory rhetoric by brazenly labeling the Trump administration’s necessary strikes on drug boats as “murder” on Meet the Press. Gallego, also a veteran, further warned that President Trump’s orders are “dangerous” for service members, claiming, “It’s very dangerous what he’s doing…to these men and women who have to make these calls for a president who has zero understanding about the responsibility someone has when it comes to having to make life and death decisions.” This coordinated attack from Democratic senators, both veterans, represents a dangerous politicization of military operations designed to weaken presidential authority and demoralize our troops in the face of a deadly threat.
Gallego: "It's murder. It's very simple. If this president feels they are doing something illegally, then he should be using the Coast Guard. If this is an act of war, then you use our military and then you come and talk to us first. But this is murder … it's disgusting." pic.twitter.com/YUxpnXxoDx
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 26, 2025
Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, a lawyer and veteran Air Force JAG officer with over three decades of service, provided a powerful and legally sound rebuke on Face the Nation. Senator Graham affirmed the lawfulness of the President’s actions and directly reassured the military, stating, “To our men and women in uniform, you’re not murdering anybody. You’re making America safer by going after a narco-terrorist. You’re following lawful orders.” He powerfully invoked historical precedent, reminding the public, “When President Bush, 41, took [Noriega] out in Panama, Reagan went into Grenada to deal with the Cuban influence from Grenada in our backyard, he has all the authority in the world. This is not murder. This is protecting America from being poisoned by narco-terrorists coming from Venezuela and Colombia.”
A Democrat Senator said today that the men and women in uniform protecting us from narco-terrorists are committing murder.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. Our military is doing exactly what they should: Following lawful orders to protect Americans from narco-terrorists… pic.twitter.com/OGsd4YZU9l
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 26, 2025
When challenged by host Margaret Brennan with a selective and out-of-concept interpretation of international law, Senator Graham stood firm, articulating the new and necessary paradigm under President Trump’s strong leadership. He declared, “President Donald Trump sees Venezuela and Colombia as direct threats to our country, because they house Narco terrorist organizations… So yeah, the game is changing when it comes to drug traffickers and drug cartels. We’re going to use military force like we have in the past to protect our country. That’s the new game we’re playing, and I’m glad we’re playing that game.” This is the clear, unambiguous leadership that America voted for—a President who is finally treating the cartels like the terrorists they are and taking bold action to secure our borders and our communities from their poison.