President Trump called for the arrest of several Democratic lawmakers who made a video urging U.S. military members to defy orders.
“It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL,” Mr. Trump said Thursday on social media. “Their words cannot be allowed to stand — We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET.”
In another post, he called the video “really bad, and Dangerous to our Country.”
“Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” he wrote.
In a third post, he wrote, SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Michigan Democrat, posted the video Tuesday on X with Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Reps. Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Jason Crow of Colorado, and Chris DeLuzio and Chrissy Houlahan, both of Pennsylvania.
The lawmakers, all with military or intelligence backgrounds, sent their message in the video titled “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” a famous rallying cry from the War of 1812.
“Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders. … You must refuse illegal orders,” they said, taking turns delivering the lines.
Sen. Chris Coons, Delaware Democrat and ranking member of the Senate appropriations subcommittee on defense, slammed the president for “chilling behavior” like that of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
“Our service members swear an oath to uphold our Constitution, and the administration should never try to force them to carry out an illegal order,” Mr. Coons said in a statement. “Calling for the execution of senators and members of Congress for reminding our troops of that is chilling behavior we should expect from authoritarians like Orban or Putin, not the President of the United States. Every one of my Republican colleagues needs to stand up and swiftly condemn this.”
The lawmakers in the video said American trust in the military is at risk because the Trump administration “is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens.”
“Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution,” they said. “The threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home.”
The lawmakers pointed to the military code that says service members must obey lawful orders and disobey unlawful orders.
