President Donald Trump jolted social media after melting down so intensely he unknowingly shared content dragging himself — a mistake critics said showed just how scattered he’d become.
By the next day, his White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was in front of reporters, breathless and barreling through Trump’s script as though nothing had happened.
The embarrassing repost dropped right in the middle of Trump’s latest meltdown over six Democratic lawmakers who released a video criticizing his leadership, sending the president into an hours-long frenzy attacking them and Senator Mark Kelly in particular, as “traitors.”
Trump accused the group of “sedition” and “treason,” reposted another user’s call to “hang them,” and claimed their actions were “punishable by death,” drawing bipartisan rebuke.
But in amplifying screenshots of Kelly from the video, Trump also grabbed an image directly from the anti-Trump account, which routinely advocates a “blue wave in ’26,” circulates pro–Gavin Newsom memes, and shares photos of burning MAGA hats.
The screenshot featured Kelly saying, “You can refuse illegal orders.” In context, it elevated the very message Trump sought to condemn, while also showcasing the account’s demand to impeach him.
“Uh oh. Trump accidentally boosted anti-Trump account ‘Impeach Trump a 3rd Time!” the left-wing account Patriot Takes wrote on X. “Grandpa has trouble reading,” one user replied.
Another added, “His mind is toast!” and another wrote “Trump really has brain damage. Can’t anyone see this”
Trump’s feud with the lawmakers intensified Monday as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon was formally investigating Kelly and weighing whether to recall the retired Navy captain to active duty for potential court-martial proceedings.
The Defense Department said it had received “serious allegations of misconduct against Captain Mark Kelly, USN (Ret.)” and that a “thorough review of these allegations has been initiated to determine further actions, which may include recall to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures.”
Because Kelly served more than 20 years on active duty and retired at the rank of captain, he remains subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The other lawmakers — Sen. Elissa Slotkin and Reps. Jason Crow, Maggie Goodlander, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy — cannot be recalled.
Hours later, Leavitt was confronted with the task of defending Trump’s rage.
Asked whether the threat of action by the Defense Department was being used to intimidate Kelly, Leavitt said before taking a deep breath, “The White House is supportive of the Department of War’s investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly, and I think what Sen. Mark Kelly was actually trying to do was intimidate the 1.3 million active duty service members who are currently serving in our United States armed forces with that video that he and his Democrat colleagues put out.”
She added: “You can’t have a functioning military if there is disorder and chaos within the ranks, and that’s what these Democrat members were encouraging, it’s very clear.”
However, many social media users argued that Kelly’s comments fell squarely within his rights and accused Leavitt of bending his words to match Trump’s storyline.
“What????? They ALWAYS turn their response around into an obvious lie,” one critic wrote on Threads.
Another observed, “She takes deep breaths like she’s about to run a marathon… This job is getting to her she needs to go along with all of admin!” Another noted, “Before she spoke she really had to go inward and put up a defense.”
Despite the outrage in MAGA circles, numerous voices defended Kelly.
“He was being a leader, another person wrote. “Other people have said the same thing because it’s accurate … The information is posted at the entrance of West Point. This is totally without merit and retaliatory.”
During an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, Kelly said he would not be silenced.
“I said something that was pretty simple and non-controversial, and that was that members of the military should follow the law. And in response to that, Donald Trump said I should be executed, I should be hanged, I should be prosecuted … I think it says a lot more about him than it says about me. I’m not going to be silenced.”
Kelly said on another occasion that he learned of the investigation from Hegseth’s public comments. “Secretary Hegseth’s tweet is the first I heard of this. I also saw the President’s posts saying I should be arrested, hanged, and put to death,” he said.
In a separate statement, he added, “If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work. I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”
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