Republican senators widely agreed that a video by Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin urging military members to refuse unlawful orders was inappropriate, but they supported the grand jury’s decision not to indict the lawmakers.

GOP leaders, including Roger Wicker, Thom Tillis, and Chuck Grassley, expressed relief that the Justice Department’s attempt to bring criminal charges failed, calling it political “lawfare” and a misuse of prosecutorial power.

Several Republicans noted that targeting sitting lawmakers over political speech could violate the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause and distract from real law enforcement priorities.

Kelly and Slotkin said they learned of the attempted prosecution only through the media and highlighted how rare it is for a grand jury to reject an indictment, The Hill has reported.

Democrats, including Richard Blumenthal, condemned the effort as unprecedented and an attempt to intimidate elected officials, while pointing to pressure from former President Trump as the driving force behind the attempt.