Donald Trump's decision to go after several Democrats could "backfire" according to a political commentator.
The president accused the six Democrats, including Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, of "sedition" and would go on to suggest they should be executed for calling on members of the military to refuse unlawful orders. Trump's decision to go after the six Democrats, who appeared in a video encouraging military personnel to stand up against illegal orders, could backfire, according to Politico.
Nicholas Wu, Lisa Kashinsky, and Samuel Benson wrote the denouncement of the six Democrats could "backfire" as the six had been involved in delivering huge wins for the Democrats in swing states.
The trio wrote, "Most hail from swing states or districts, identify as centrists and are leveraging their national security backgrounds to argue that Democrats can retake the patriotic lane."
Not only are these Democrats involved in the "undercutting" of GOP activities, but they're helping to further new elects like New York City's mayor elect Zohran Mamdani with the initiative to take a more vocal stand against the GOP.
The piece reads, "Trump is also boosting some potential 2028 presidential hopefuls, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, while further undercutting the GOP’s attempts to make New York progressives like Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez the face of the Democratic Party."
Republican strategists believe the change in tone comes from the level of visibility now afforded to the Democrats, which money can't buy. Arizona-based strategist Barrett Marson said, "Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump are providing Mark Kelly with the kind of visibility that almost no amount of money could buy."
Democrats like Mark Kelly were accused by Trump of "seditious" behaviour. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL," regarding the video Kelly and other Democrat representatives appeared in.
Kelly has since commented on the video and Trump's response, when during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel live he was asked what sedition is. He replied, "Well this is the investigation, because of what Donald Trump said. From what I can tell, and I don't know Pete Hegseth well, I sit on the committee that ultimately had to confirm him, so I know a little bit about his background. He's totally unqualified.
"From what I can tell, talking to some of my Republican colleagues, I mean he just wants to please the president. This is what he can do this week, he can go after me under the uniform code of military justice, which is a law in the military, which is kind of wild because we recited something in the uniform code of military justice and he's going to prosecute me under the uniform code of military justice."