Ruben Gallego warns military that 'there will be consequences' if they go after congressional Democrats once Trump leaves office

Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) warned military personnel Monday that "there will be consequences" if they allow Sen. Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain and also a Democrat from Arizona, to be tried by a military tribunal.

The senator reacted on the CNN program hosted by Kasie Hunt to the announcement of the War Department on X, which reported the initiation of a formal investigation against Kelly for his involvement in a controversial video in which he urged members of the Army to "refuse illegal orders" from president Donald Trump.

Gallego stressed that military officials should be wary of participating in efforts to weaponize the government against lawmakers. "Donald Trump is going to be gone in a couple of years. And if you’re part of the military that is going after sitting senators, sitting members of Congress, and part of the weaponization of government, there will be consequences, without a doubt," he exclaimed.

In addition, the senator asserted that officers involved in these actions will have to strictly follow the Constitution to avoid consequences once Trump's protection disappears.

"F*** you and your investigation," Gallego said in a post on X, in response to the official statement on the War Department investigation.

Gallego: "You also hear the president saying things that are, on its face, illegal."

Ruben Gallego also weighed in on the deployment and use of the National Guard under Donald Trump, criticizing what he considers the politicization and illegal deployment of these forces in certain cities.

"Also, you're just seeing things that aren't very normal," he said. "You have the Marines who are walking around Los Angeles. You have National Guardsmen coming from different states into other states, even though those governors did not request that. You have a politicization of the military, that has never been seen before until this president has done it. And then, you also hear the president saying things that are, on its face, illegal."

Gallego also addressed Trump's recent military actions, including attacks against ships coming from Venezuela without consulting Congress, and reminded service members that following "illegal orders" is not mandatory.