President Donald Trump’s political retribution campaign just took two embarrassing steps back and one giant leap forward.
The collapse of criminal cases against former FBI chief James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James raised questions about the Justice Department’s competence after a judge ruled Trump’s handpicked prosecutor was illegally appointed amid rushed prosecutions under political pressure.
But the administration didn’t miss a beat after its twin defeat on Monday. The Pentagon swiftly announced a probe into and potential court martial of war hero, NASA astronaut and Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over a video in which he and colleagues pointed out that members of the military don’t have to obey illegal orders.
This followed Trump’s claim last week that Kelly and other Democratic lawmakers in the video, all military or intelligence community veterans, had committed sedition — inciting an insurrection against the state — which Trump said was punishable by death.
Trump has made no secret of his determination to use presidential power to prosecute his opponents in revenge for his own criminal indictments — it was a pillar of his 2024 presidential campaign. But the use of the military to target a political foe crosses a new line and invokes the possibility that the free speech of veterans could be constrained if they criticize the commander in chief.
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