Adrian Fontes condemns President Trump for saying Mark Kelly should face death penalty
PHOENIX — Arizona’s top elections official said President Donald Trump’s recent comments about congressional Democrats who reminded military members not to obey unlawful orders are dangerous for democracy.
“The Democrats did the same thing my drill instructors did in Marine Corps boot camp. They told us, ‘You’re not to obey unlawful orders.’ Pretty simple. I think everybody whoever wore the uniform knows that,” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos on Friday.
One of the Democrats Trump condemned was U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, who said he and the other Democrats were specifically referring to recent strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea, which he believes are “really close” to crossing over into illegal activity.
They delivered their message in a Tuesday video post. Two days later, Trump lashed out on Truth Social in a response to a Washington Examiner article about the video.
What did President Donald Trump say in response to ‘unlawful orders’ post?
“It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL,” the president posted. “Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand – We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET.”
Trump later added that he believes the video was “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
He also shared a post by a user who wrote, “HANG THEM.”
“The president of the United States of America threatened American citizens and political opponents with death. That’s not what we do in this country. That’s not how you America,” Fontes said.
Trump’s comments are putting the country down a dark path, he added.
“This is some serious stuff here and particularly when you’ve got calls for political violence, which this is clearly,” Fontes said. “It’s not just unseemly and way beneath the office, but it’s disturbing, and it really takes us to a much darker place than, I think, we’ve been in before in this country.”
