President Donald Trump slammed six Democrat lawmakers on Thursday after the lawmakers posted a video message directed to the U.S. military and intelligence officials. The video urged U.S. military troops and intelligence officials to defy “illegal” orders from the president.
In a Tuesday video shared on X, formerly Twitter, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) shared how they previously served in the military or as members of the intelligence community and encouraged current service members and intelligence officials to “refuse illegal orders.”
“No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution,” the Democrat lawmakers said. “We know this is hard, and that it’s a difficult time to be a public servant. But whether you’re serving in the CIA, the Army, our Navy, the Air Force, your vigilance is critical, and know that we have your back.”
In response to the Democrats’ video message, Trump issued a statement Thursday on Truth Social, saying, “It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand – We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET.”
In another Thursday post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
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During a Thursday press briefing, a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt if Trump wanted to “execute members of Congress” following his Truth Social statements. In response, Leavitt said, “No, let’s be clear about what the president is responding to.”
“You have sitting members of the United States Congress who conspired together to orchestrate a video message to members of the United States military, to active-duty service members, to members of the national security apparatus, encouraging them to defy the president’s lawful orders,” Leavitt added. “The sanctity of our military rests on the chain of command, and if that chain of command is broken, it can lead to people getting killed, it can lead to chaos, and that’s what these members of Congress, who swore an oath to abide by the Constitution, are essentially encouraging.”
Leavitt warned that if U.S. military members heard the “radical message” promoted by the six Democrat lawmakers in the video, it could spark “chaos,” “violence,” and a disruption to the military’s chain of command.