Senator Mark Kelly Claims Donald Trump Is 'Disabled' in Brutal Takedown

When asked if America is ready for a disabled first lady, Arizona’s Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, rumored to be mulling a run for president in 2028, quipped that we already have a disabled president in reference to Donald Trump.

Kelly's wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, survived a near-fatal assassination attempt in 2011. She sustained a severe brain injury after being shot in the head and spent years relearning to walk and speak.

The severe brain trauma resulted in dense right-side paralysis (hemiplegia) and aphasia, a language disorder that makes speaking and finding words difficult while leaving her cognition and comprehension intact.

Kelly's diss came while he was speaking with The Atlantic’s staff writer Jennifer Senior.

“I wondered how he would handle a political adversary going after his wife — calling her names, saying heartless things about her disability, deploying the kind of hateful language that Trump has empowered many of his supporters to use. It’s easy to imagine. I asked Kelly, straight up, if he thought America was ready to have a disabled first lady,” Senior wrote.

“Hey,” he said, “in my opinion, we have a disabled president right now.”

After delivering the line, Kelly pivoted right back to praising his wife's resilience. He emphasized her role as a powerhouse public figure, noting that she can handle herself and remains an unmatched role model.

“The way she connects with people is unlike anybody else I’ve ever known,” Kelly said. “Before she was injured, people used to compare her with Bill Clinton. She’s been in this business. And she had, you know, like the worst thing that any politician could have happened, right? She gets shot in the head.”

Kelly, who was under consideration to have been Kamala Harris’ runningmate in 2024, has been in the news recently as a target of the Trump administration.

“Here are some things that Mark Kelly has survived: a turbulent and sometimes violent childhood, 39 combat missions in Desert Storm, a missile blowing up just above his plane, and four space-shuttle voyages (two as mission commander). He has also braved the near-murder of the person he loves most and watched her get deluged with death threats for years afterward. It is fair to observe that Pete Hegseth cannot scare him,” Senior penned.

The Secretary of Defense censured Kelly and attempted to strip the retired Navy captain of his military rank and pension. This followed a video in which Kelly urged troops to refuse illegal orders. Hegseth also called for a Pentagon investigation into Kelly for discussing classified weapon stockpiles on television.

“I mean, it’s not great to wake up one morning and to find out the president wants you hanged,” Kelly said in reference to Truth Social posts in which the petty POTUS accused him and his colleagues of sedition, threatening to seek their execution.

When Senior asked Giffords if she is on board with Kelly running for president, she answered, “All of it. Yeah, go for it.”