California gubernatorial candidate and Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) has claimed that service members have privately told him they view themselves as a potential “check” on President Donald Trump and are prepared to “save us” from the commander-in-chief.
The comments come amid escalating controversy over a video in which six Democrat lawmakers urged troops to refuse what they called “illegal orders.”
Swalwell made the remarks during an appearance on Don Lemon’s program Monday night, where he defended the Democrats who appeared in the video, including Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a retired Navy captain now facing a formal misconduct review by the Department of War.
The Department of War announced the review on X shortly after the video’s release.
Officials are weighing whether Kelly could be called back to active duty under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Swalwell argued that the Trump administration “told on itself” by pursuing action against Kelly, and then claimed that members of the military have assured him they could act as a safeguard against the president.
“What gives me hope, and I talk to service members all the time,” Swalwell said.
“They tell me that I don’t appreciate enough and the public doesn’t appreciate enough that while Congress is not a check on the president anymore, and the judiciary at the Supreme Court is hardly a check, military members have told me, ‘We can be a check.’”
“They’re essentially saying, ‘We’re not going to betray our oath to the Constitution because this guy tells us to.’
“While it’s not codified that way — they’re not a branch of government on their own— their honor and integrity might just save us.”
Swalwell also agreed with Lemon’s framing that Republicans are now telling service members to “ignore the Constitution.”
“To me, the only reason you’d go after Mark Kelly if he’s telling soldiers, ‘You don’t have to follow an unlawful order’ — and they don’t — is if you intend to carry out unlawful orders,” Swalwell said.
“If you don’t intend to carry out unlawful orders, why do you care that somebody would say that?”
WATCH:
His remarks drew further scrutiny after Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) issued his own warning during an appearance on CNN the same day, suggesting consequences for military personnel involved in the review of Kelly.
“Donald Trump is going to be gone in a couple of years,” Gallego said.
“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.”
The Department of War’s review remains ongoing.
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