Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) was unrestrained in a recent MSNBC interview with Rachel Maddow, launching a sharp critique of President Donald Trump’s latest tariff policy.
Kelly said the policy is already causing widespread financial pain and warned that the damage may be just beginning.
“It’s fair to say that he [Trump] stands out as single-handedly destroying more wealth with his bad decisions than anybody else that has ever lived on this planet,” Kelly said.
“These are people’s 401(k)s. Folks will lose their jobs because of this. Companies will have to restructure. People will be out of work. They’re not going to be able to put food on the table. They’re going to lose their homes.”
Kelly criticized Trump for relying on Peter Navarro’s economic advice, which he said lacks credibility.
“He’s listening to an economist that doesn’t even exist, that Peter Navarro actually made up. I’ve been looking for a real economist that says this is a good idea. I can’t find one.”
The Arizona senator also expressed frustration with the silence from within Trump’s own party. “What I hope happens is my Republican colleagues in the Senate, but also in the House, get off the sidelines and call this for what it is. This is a really bad idea,” he said.
“This is not surprising. Here’s a guy who told Americans to inject bleach into their bodies [and] who sent a mob to Capitol Hill.”
Trump’s Absence from Military Ceremony
Kelly didn’t stop at economic issues. He also addressed Trump’s decision to skip the dignified transfer of fallen soldiers. Instead of attending the solemn military event, Trump was at a golf dinner in Florida.
“We shouldn’t be surprised,” Kelly said. “You do not want to get between Donald Trump and a golf tournament or the first tee. He puts that at a very high premium on his schedule.”
He pointed to Trump’s past remarks as part of a disturbing pattern. “This is a guy who during his first term called lost dead Marines who died at Belleau Wood ‘suckers and losers,'” Kelly added.
Kelly added, “What he said in the Oval Office about these missing soldiers just showed a total lack of empathy. And you’re right, he’s consistent.”
Firings at the National Security Council
Kelly went on to address Trump’s recent firings at the National Security Council. According to multiple reports, Trump removed or reassigned several key officials, including Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command.
“We shouldn’t have an internet troll being the White House’s HR department,” Kelly said, referring to the conspiracy theorist who reportedly pushed for the firings.
“Here’s a person that clearly does not have the background and the knowledge and the information to make hiring and firing decisions in the White House, especially these kinds of decisions.”
He defended Gen. Nakasone, calling him a steady and effective leader. “General Hawk [Nakasone] was doing an excellent job. He did not deserve to be fired. He’s the kind of guy you want to keep in a position like this.”
Kelly warned that the firings could weaken national security. “When you consider the role of the NSA and Cyber Command, I almost can’t think of a position that’s more important,” he said.
“And the president has said previously that he wants to take away some authorities that the NSA has to collect information on our foreign adversaries. On this topic… the president has it wrong.”
Lost Opportunities
Kelly wrapped up the interview by underlining the scale of the economic damage. He pointed to the $6 trillion lost in market value following Trump’s tariff announcement, noting what those funds could have supported.
“You could actually cure childhood cancer, which is a thing he said he wanted to do,” Kelly said. “But instead he cut money to NIH, the organization that would do that.”
IMAGE CREDIT: “President Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.