A Democratic lawmaker is facing major backlash for supporting Mexico in the World Cup.
Mark Kelly, the senior US senator from Arizona, shared a photograph of himself and his wife, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, donning Mexico jerseys and taking selfies during a packed watch party in Tucson on Sunday evening.
‘Lots of people out in Tucson to watch Mexico take on England. Tucson and La Rosa sure know how to do the World Cup,’ Kelly wrote in his post on X, which he paired with several photos, sending conservative commentators’ heads spinning.
Outkick founder and Fox News contributor Clay Travis wrote ‘Surprised you weren’t wearing an Iran jersey, senator.’
Conservative MAGA account @catturd2 called Kelly a ‘Traitor,’ while fellow right-wing commentator @GuntherEagleman wrote ‘Mark Kelly is a DISGRACE to America.’
CNN analyst Scott Jennings shared Kelly’s post commenting, ‘Modern Democratic Party: wear another country’s jersey and post a photo of yourself taking a photo of yourself.’
Conservative commentator and former Trump advisor Steve Cortes called Kelly a ‘loser,’ noting, ‘An ostensibly American senator, wears a foreign jersey, as America plays in the same tournament.’
Mexico lost to England 3-2 at the high-altitude fortress, the Azteca, in a nailbiter that saw a red card for the away team, two penalty kicks awarded and even a glowing Truth Social from Donald Trump for England captain Harry Kane.
Kelly and his wife Gabby Giffords, both in Mexico kits, are seen in a photo he shared on X Sunday
An AI meme shared on X shows England captain Harry Kane in an ICE uniform. ‘Hope he enjoyed watching Mexico get deported from the World Cup,’ said the post referring to Kelly
Another image of Kelly and Giffords in the crowd of Mexico fans at a World Cup watch party in Tucson, Arizona on Sunday night
An AI meme shared on X showed Kane in an ICE uniform. The person who posted the image ripped into Kelly, writing: ‘Hope he enjoyed watching Mexico get deported from the World Cup.’
England has advanced to the next round, and the US plays Belgium in its round-of-16 game on Monday.
The Daily Mail reached out to Kelly’s office for comment on the backlash and did not get a response.
Kelly, a former NASA astronaut and retired US Navy Captain and naval aviator, has been questioned by conservatives over his patriotism several times in recent months.
His participation in the controversial video of the ‘seditious six’ lawmakers who told members of the military not to follow what they saw as being ‘illegal orders’ from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top Pentagon brass was one of those incidents.
Kelly is also not the only politician to show up to watch World Cup games wearing a jersey that did not say USA.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, made their own ‘New York City’ jerseys for their attendance at games in the New York City area earlier in the tournament.
