'Very chilling': GOP senators slam Trump admin's bungled indictment attempt against Dems

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Raw Story

February 11, 2026 7:46PM ET


With President Donald Trump's Justice Department trying, and failing, to secure a criminal indictment against Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) for their roles in a video advising active-duty troops they must refuse illegal orders, Senate Republicans are coming out of the woodwork to condemn the administration having even attempted this in the first place, NOTUS reported on Wednesday evening.

“It’s very chilling, right? As a member of Congress, we have the Speech and Debate Clause. Not only as a member, but it’s a First Amendment right of speech here,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a frequent critic of the president, told NOTUS.

Meanwhile, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who faces a tough re-election battle this fall, said, “I’m not surprised that the grand jury declined to indict them,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). “I don’t think they should have [tried to indict them]. I spoke out about that very early on.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who faces a primary challenge backed by Trump, said, “I would not have brought it were I the president.” Even some Republican lawmakers who are more loyal to Trump, and who agreed with his fury over the Democratic video, expressed similar opinions. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) told NOTUS, “[the video showed] terrible, terrible judgment, but I think trying to indict them for it was not a good idea.”

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/senate-gop-2675261016/

[OldBaldy1701E]

1. Sorry, GOP slime. Your attempts at trying to seem human are not working.

Nor do we care about said attempts.

[yardwork]

2. Republicans are cowards.

[tableturner]

3. Hawley said "the video showed terrible judgment". Terrible judgement for telling the truth, which is the law?

[radical noodle]

4. Translation...

It was terrible judgment for them to anger our King.

[Bluetus]

5. It was terrible judgment to have a democracy

I don't know if the OP thought that any of this reflected even a tiny sliver of courage by the Republicans. It just makes them look worse.

All of those statements were of the form, "they probably deserved to be in prison, but it was bad optics to seek the indictments." Only Murkowski even mentioned it was a fundamental right. None of them came within light-years of simply saying "The Senators are correct. Nobody should be following illegal or unconstitutional orders."

[efhmc]

7. May be their king but not "our".

[radical noodle]

14. Yes, I was obviously translating for Hawley

Never our president, let alone our king.

[MW67]

13. Runaway

Hawley, the guiding light of clear and honest judgement, LMAO!

[Exp]

6. The strongest of their very weakest has the moral fortitude of a two year old. nt

[ruet]

8. "Slam?"

I think I might have an inaccurate understanding of the definition of that word.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. For a group who refuses to criticize anything 45 does, including killing people

any actual “criticism” is a “slam”.

[Akakoji]

9. Cowards

Liars. Frauds. Losers

[yonder]

11. Sen. Cassidy flashed his hand, I think. If he were President, he'd have no business "bringing it" anyway.

These days, DOJ independence is an old fashioned notion with his crowd.

[MW67]

12. They looked at

The polls again, didn't here any protests from them before it was ruled on, sleazy to the core,dishonest and only concerned with self preservation, that's the one constant you get from that side, hope they all get the comeuppance they deserve soon

[ananda]

15. For the indicting or the bungling?

???