Sen. Mark Kelly Urges Republicans to Condemn Trump's 'Hang Them' Rhetoric

Sen. Mark Kelly urged congressional Republicans to denounce former President Donald Trump’s social-media posts calling for the arrest or execution of six Democratic lawmakers. Kelly and five colleagues with military or intelligence backgrounds released a video telling service members they can refuse illegal orders, prompting sharp rebukes from Trump. Democratic leaders called the posts an endorsement of political violence, while some Republicans offered limited public response.

12:06 PM, 11/24/2025Politics

Sen. Mark Kelly Urges Republicans to Condemn Trump's 'Hang Them' Rhetoric

Senator Mark Kelly on Sunday called on congressional Republicans to publicly repudiate former President Donald Trump's violent social-media posts that targeted him and five other Democratic lawmakers.

Speaking on CBS's Face the Nation, Kelly said he had heard "very little, basically crickets, from Republicans in the United States Congress about what the president has said about hanging members of Congress." He asked why the same calls for restraint applied after the fatal shooting of a conservative activist were not being applied now.

"We’ve heard very little, basically crickets, from Republicans in the United States Congress about what the president has said about hanging members of Congress,"

Kelly warned that the former president's words "carry tremendous weight, more so than anybody else in the country," and said that the rhetoric has increased threats against lawmakers. Kelly spent 25 years in the U.S. Navy and is one of six current or former service and intelligence officials who recently addressed active-duty personnel in a video.

Earlier in the week Kelly and five other Democratic members of Congress published a video on X (formerly Twitter) directed to military and intelligence personnel. In the clip they said:

"Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders."

Trump responded on social media, calling for the lawmakers to be arrested and tried for "seditious behavior." In a later post he wrote in all caps:

"SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!"

He also reposted a message that read:

"HANG THEM, GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD!"

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar issued a joint statement condemning the posts and emphasizing that "political violence has no place in America." Kelly reiterated that the president is "trying to intimidate us," and added, "I’m not going to be intimidated."

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar described the posts as "dangerous," saying:

"What is dangerous is the president of the United States threatening these members of Congress with death. Literally, saying that they should be executed."

Ohio Senator J.D. Vance (R) weighed in with a contrasting view on X, arguing:

"If the president hasn’t issued illegal orders, then members of Congress telling the military to defy the president is by definition illegal."

The episode has intensified debate over political rhetoric and the responsibilities of leaders to avoid incitement. Kelly and other Democrats say the focus should be on rejecting violent language while protecting lawful avenues for service-members to refuse illegal commands.