As a former combat pilot, nothing scares me more than the rising tide of political violence in our country. His concerns have deepened in light of recent statements from former President Donald Trump. In an unfortunate disparagement of our democracy, on a recent appearance on MS NOW’s Morning Joe, Kelly detailed his fears for his personal safety. He further stressed the hazards that inflammatory rhetoric creates for his family.
Kelly, a former astronaut and military veteran, underscored the weight of Trump’s words in a political climate already marred by violence. As he stated, “This sort of rhetoric is incendiary and inappropriate. He pointed out that this kind of rhetoric can incite deadly violence from your base. And yet, his concerns are not unfounded. In January 2011, at a constituent event in Tucson, his wife, Gabrielle Giffords, was shot in the head and left with permanent injuries in a mass shooting that killed six people.
The senator’s remarks followed those of five other Democratic federal lawmakers — all but one of them with military or intelligence experience. Together, they cut a powerful video calling on active U.S. service members to disobey illegal orders. Kelly concluded by underscoring the need to stand in favor of the law and the Constitution. As she put it, “You have the right to disobey unlawful orders. You are required to disobey illegal orders. Nobody should be following orders that break the law or our Constitution.”
Kelly pointed to recent acts of violence that have shaken communities across the country. What this response looks like, given the past year’s political turmoil. He hosted discussions on the January 6th firebombing of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s official residence. He referenced the recent shooting of former Minnesota state House Speaker Melissa Hortman. He called out the assassination of fellow conservative political activist Charlie Kirk. This tragic event was very much in keeping with what has occurred between April and September of this year.
Kelly’s concerns extend beyond these incidents. He referred to the two assassination attempts on Trump’s life while waging his campaign to return as president for a second time in 2024. Here’s the most striking portion of her short speech, where the senator described the long-lasting trauma caused by political violence. These occurrences, he explained, create a climate of fear and insecurity. He said, “My family has been a victim of political violence,” a chilling personal reminder of the threat from rising political anger.
The senator’s commentary touched upon Trump’s speech before the January 6, 2021 congressional session intended to certify President Joe Biden’s victory. The day of that address, Trump summoned his supporters to “fight like hell.” We need to take this seriously. This phrase has already faced criticism for its ability to incite violence. Kelly indicated that Trump’s rhetoric could lead to increased threats against not only himself but his staff and family members.
“I’m not going to discuss my security details, specifically,” Kelly said. “But it would be irresponsible for me not to take into account that [Trump’s] rhetoric leads to more threats against me, even against my staff, to my family.”