Mark Kelly on War, Trump, and Why He Won't Back Down

Senator Mark Kelly joins the Hometown Holler to talk about space, war, and what it's like to have the president call for your execution. Arguably the most interesting member of the US Senate, Kelly has been to space four times and flown combat missions over Iraq and Kuwait. Recently, President Trump called for his execution after Kelly made a video reminding service members they don't have to follow illegal orders. We discuss the war with Iran, the president's threats, his ongoing court battle over his military rank and pension, the ICE detention of a service member's spouse, and how he handles all the stress that comes with the job—at age 62, he's on track to complete 20,000 push-ups this year. Mark Kelly is the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona, first elected in 2020. He sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee. He is the husband of former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Join the Holler and become a sustainer today! Patreon:   / membership   Substack: https://substack.com/@thehometownholler Website: https://www.thehometownholler.com/ 0:00 Intro 2:05 Meet Senator Mark Kelly 3:22 Leaving planet Earth for the first time 4:59 Combat pilot, astronaut, senator — comparing the stress 6:04 Commanding the shuttle while Gabby was in the hospital 7:19 The war with Iran 8:55 Message to troops deployed with no clear mission 11:39 "I'd rather they come after me than somebody else" 13:15 The "don't follow illegal orders" video 14:39 Trump called for his execution 16:46 Fighting for 2 million retired service members 17:35 Can the military survive this administration? 18:58 Hegseth begged for applause. The generals sat silent. 20:36 What everyday Americans can do 22:17 Military families in North Carolina 24:38 Annie Ramos: a service member's spouse in ICE detention 25:46 Hegseth accused Kelly of leaking classified info 26:37 "He forgot. Just like Trump forgot his promises." 27:33 What keeps him hopeful 30:20 "I don't lose sleep over it" 31:45 20,000 push-ups at age 62 32:50 What's on his radio 34:07 Favorite song & how Gabby is doing