Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) rebuked Sen. Elissa Slotkin‘s (D-MI) recent criticism of the National Guard deployments in her defense of the “illegal orders” video, dismissing her remarks as part of a potential bid for the presidency in 2028.
Slotkin warned last weekend that President Donald Trump’s National Guard orders are leading to “very stressful” situations in U.S. cities that could result in troops inadvertently shooting at civilians. The Michigan senator’s warning was part of a larger defense of a joint video featuring her and other Democratic veterans in Congress calling for U.S. service members to “refuse illegal orders.”
While that video is under scrutiny from the Department of War, Mullin targeted Slotkin on Saturday over her National Guard comments, calling them “absolutely ridiculous.”
“She should know better. She’s former CIA and what she’s doing is auditioning to run for president in 2028,” he said. “That’s such an insult to every man and woman that has ever served this great nation, either from law enforcement or into the military, to say that you’re gonna get nervous and you’re gonna shoot at U.S. citizens. That is not happening. We know that’s not happening.”
The Oklahoma senator piled on the 2028 claim, suggesting Slotkin is already looking years ahead.
“She owes every single person uniform an apology. That is so ridiculous. And it makes me mad when these Democrats go out there and they’re so loose-lipped … that they’re not worried about the American people. They’re more focused on their political future,” Mullin added.
ELISSA SLOTKIN, MARK KELLY, AND DEMOCRATIC PRIVELEGE
The comments come days after two West Virginia National Guard members were shot in Washington, D.C. One of the troops has died, while the other is in critical condition.
The suspect in the shooting is a 29-year-old Afghan national who came to the United States in 2021 under a Biden-era program that allowed Afghan nationals fleeing the Taliban to enter the country.
