ICYMI: On MSNBC, Kelly Warns of Growing Costs, Greater Risk Under Trump

“As a country, we’re poorer and less safe”

Today, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly joined MSNBC to discuss President Trump’s first 100 days in office, warning that Arizona families and Americans across the country are already paying the price through higher costs, weaker alliances, and growing threats to their safety. 

Since Trump returned to office, Kelly has been sounding the alarm and standing up to the administration’s harmful policies—holding town halls with Arizona veterans and Medicaid recipients to highlight the real-world impacts of proposed cuts, visiting businesses impacted by tariffs, opposing unqualified cabinet nominees who put American lives at risk, and bringing the voices of hardworking Arizonans back to Washington.  

Read key excerpts from the interview below: 

“I just spent the last two weeks in Arizona meeting with my constituents, meeting with business owners, produce importers in the City of Nogales who bring in billions of dollars of products and are faced with these unfair tariffs. That’s going to cost Americans their jobs—folks that make electronics are already seeing the dramatic effects of these tariffs. It’s already hitting them. It’s going to hurt our economy, and it’s going to hurt hardworking Americans.” 

“They’ve also been effective at destroying our relationships around the world—relationships with Canada and our European allies. We are a less safe country because we don’t have those solid relationships anymore, and it’s because of this President.” 

“The American people didn’t sign up or vote for this—to get in trade wars with our allies, but also our adversaries that we have trade relationships with. They didn’t want higher costs. They’re going to see higher costs at the grocery stores, if you’re buying stuff online or at department stores. So, of course they’re going to go out and protest because they’re unhappy about it—and they should be.” 

“You got to be focused on the things that people really care about, and that’s the price of groceries, and gas, and housing, and healthcare. And this President is about to destroy the health care of potentially millions of Americans.” 

“It’s obvious that Pete Hegseth has not been an effective Secretary of Defense, and who could be surprised? He was ill-equipped and unqualified for this job. I made this point before his confirmation vote—asking my Republican Senate colleagues if they were sure they want to put this guy in charge of the Defense Department. And he is. He has messed this up significantly. Americans are less safe because of his mismanagement at DoD. Because of that, he should resign—or be fired.” 

Click here to watch the full MSNBC interview.