The Hill poses the question as it see’s the Democratic Senator from Arizona square off against the Trump Defense Sec. Hegseth….
Some actually see Hegseth’s effort to ‘investigate ‘ the seating Senator as a gift to elevate Kelly politically….
Kelly joined a group of Democratic law makers in publicly stating that US Military members ‘Do NOT’ have to obey a ‘illegal ‘ order….
New reporting reveals that there has been questions by the Senior US Military Southern Command Lawyer about the legality of the drug boat attacks…
Hegseth and his boss, Trump , have gone a bit batshit crazy on this….
Hegseth now wants to demote Kelly’s post service rank and censure him….
This has brought support TO Kelly from almost ALL quarters, including Republicans…
It has also brought speculation that Kelly’s name could be rising in the 2028 Democratic Presidential nomination sweepstake’s…
Kelly IS prime example of American excellence being a military veteran and astronaut that has been in space several times…He also has a wife , a former US House member, that was shot and has recovered from her wounds…
He has not any drink or womanising issues, like the other two…(Trump is a felon, but doesn’t drink)
At least one person in Sen. Mark Kelly’s (D-Ariz.) orbit recently joked that his office should send the Trump administration a gift basket when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the Pentagon would open a misconduct review into the Arizona Democrat.
The investigation, over a video Kelly filmed in the fall with other Democratic members of Congress calling on members of the armed forces to not follow illegal orders at the height of the controversy around the administration’s Caribbean boat strikes, could result in Kelly losing his rank.
But it has also elevated Kelly’s national profile, turning the senator into a household name in military and Democratic circles while positioning him as a rising figure unafraid to speak out against Hegseth at the Pentagon, and President Trump more broadly….
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But it’s also been a winner for Kelly, and those in his inner circle said the senator’s immediate reaction was, as one person put it, “No f‑‑‑ing way are you going to freak me out. We’re in the right, and this does not scare me.”
The 61-year-old Kelly is a Navy pilot who flew 39 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq. He’s traveled to space four times and sat by the bedside of his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.), while she recovered from a bullet wound to the head after a 2011 shooting at a meet-and-greet with constituents outside a Tucson, Ariz., supermarket.
Since the battle with Hegseth and Trump, Kelly, the son of two police officers, has received death threats and has hired security, those close to him say.
He has also refused to back down.
“He is not intimidating me, and he’s not going to,” Kelly told Vanity Fair in an interview last month, speaking about Trump. “I have been through, you know, harder things than this.”
Kelly was a top vice presidential candidate in 2024 when former Vice President Kamala Harris was making her picks, losing out to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D). The runner-up was Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D)…
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Kelly isn’t dissuading people from talking about his presidential prospects. In an interview this month, the senator said he has considered running for president in 2028.
“Of course,” he told content creator Aaron Parnas. “I think it would be irresponsible not to think about it.”
If he does choose to run, he has begun to lay the groundwork since the tussle with the administration began in November. He has done more media recently than he ever has, appearing on shows including ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and earlier this month, “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart. …
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While GOP consultant Brian Seitchik, who is based in Arizona, said Kelly’s spat with the administration is “catnip” for Democrats, he doesn’t see it translating in a presidential race.
“I don’t think he has the charisma to successfully run for president in modern times,” he said. “Objectively, he did not perform real well on the stump. He’s a bright guy. He’s got a great story, but he does not electrify a crowd.”
But Democrats say the senator is winning this battle….
Note….
The observation that mark Kelly does NOT have the ‘Zip’ in public of a Trump or Newsom IS correct….
But?
Tired of the Trump Chaos tour?
Could Kelly’s down to earth steel be a the out for tired voters ?
image….The Independent
Update….
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) told CNN he is seriously considering running for president in 2028.
“I still think it needs to be the right person for the moment, and we don’t know what that moment is yet,” he said in a wide-ranging interview published Wednesday….
More…