Mark Kelly's Double Tap

It’s seems pretty obvious at this point that Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and the other Dems from the “don’t obey illegal orders” viral post already knew about the Trump DoD’s Sept. 2 “double tap” strike when they produced their video two weeks ago.

I can’t prove it, of course. None of the participants have said precisely what proximal event prompted them to spontaneously a) remind military personnel that they have a duty to reject illegal orders, and b) tacitly accuse Donald Trump and his officials of issuing illegal orders.

Maybe it was blind luck that led this group of national security-oriented lawmakers to bait Donald Trump into a debate about war crimes just as the Washington Post was working up a story about potential war crimes. It’s much more likely that the Sept. 2 strike, or events surrounding it, spawned a whistleblower. Faithful officers and civilians who were removed or resigned from their posts so that they wouldn’t impede illegal orders wind up highly motivated to talk to reporters…and to lawmakers.

Again, I can’t prove it. Check back in with me when the true story of the video’s timing is revealed.

Timing aside, the move to release the video two weeks ago has yielded huge dividends for the group behind it. It also represents the kind of go-on-offense, no-focus-group assertivism (hi, Brian!) critics of Dem leaders have been baying for. Whether Dem strategists alter their “pivot to affordability” instincts I guess we’ll see. But who could have foreseen how a viral video by a bunch of politicians could shape events? Turns out, they could.