Author Elizabeth Graham Criticizes Trump's Sedition Accusations Against Senator Kelly as Hypocritical

Bestselling author Elizabeth Graham contends that former President Donald Trump's recent accusations of sedition against Senator Mark Kelly demonstrate profound hypocrisy, given Trump's central role in the January 6 Capitol attack and his history of avoiding military service. In a recent Substack article, Graham highlights Trump's actions following his re-election, noting he pardoned approximately 1,500 individuals convicted for their roles in the insurrection, many charged with sedition, while now targeting a decorated public servant. Graham bases her critique on firsthand accounts of the January 6 violence, citing the introduction to the official report written by journalist Luke Broadwater, who witnessed "hundreds of rioters, believing Mr. Trump's lie of a stolen election" storm the building, beat police officers, and chant "Hang Mike Pence" near a constructed gallows.

She contrasts this with the background of Senator Kelly, whose history "spans from a decorated U.S. Navy pilot and NASA astronaut to an Arizona Senator," having flown combat missions in the Gulf War and commanded Space Shuttle missions before co-founding the gun safety nonprofit Giffords. The author draws a sharp distinction between Kelly's service and Trump's record, referencing a Military Times report from February 27, 2019, that labeled Trump a "five-time draft dodger." She also cites Politico from June 28, 2024, reporting Trump's alleged comment that "those who died in service are losers and suckers," and a Threads post from August 29, 2024, claiming Trump suggested Arlington National Cemetery "could have made a wonderful golf course." Graham, who grew up in a military family with a father in army intelligence and later the CIA, argues Trump "has no concept of 'service' or dedication to our country."

Graham announces an upcoming book, 'Survival: Democracy's Struggle To Survive,' set for release in 2026, which she describes as "an exhaustively explored and thoroughly investigated analysis of the deep, dark, clandestine linkage between Trump and Putin." The book will feature contributions from authors including Craig Unger, Charlie Sykes, Steven Beschloss, David Adelman, and Dr. Sanford Mayer. Her current work, 'From Democracy To Democrazy: A Warning To All Americans,' is available at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Elizabeth-Graham/author/B0CMY189NT?, with more information at her website https://democrazy2020.org/. The full text of Graham's Substack article is available at https://substack.com/@elizabethgraham.

Her analysis presents the accusations against Kelly as part of a broader pattern where Trump, who she claims was "apprehended because of a Russian KGB operation orchestrated by... Mr. Putin," now leads a "dictatorial government" that threatens democratic institutions while attacking those with proven records of national service. This matters because it highlights a critical tension in American politics between those who have served the nation through military or public service and a political figure who has been accused of undermining democratic norms while avoiding traditional service obligations. The implications extend to how political discourse frames patriotism and service, potentially delegitimizing genuine public servants while excusing or minimizing actions that directly threatened democratic processes. Graham's critique suggests that such accusations against figures like Kelly serve to distract from Trump's own documented involvement in events that many legal experts and historians consider seditious, creating a dangerous precedent where the definition of sedition becomes politicized rather than based on factual evidence and legal standards.