Former President Donald Trump has ignited a political firestorm by accusing six Democratic lawmakers of sedition and suggesting their actions should be punishable by death.
The Democratic Video That Sparked Controversy
The controversy began when a group of six Democratic legislators, all with backgrounds in the armed services and intelligence community, released a 90-second video addressing US military personnel. The video was first posted by Senator Elissa Slotkin early on Tuesday and also featured Senator Mark Kelly, along with Representatives Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan.
In their message to service members, the lawmakers acknowledged that the armed forces were experiencing significant stress and pressure. Senator Slotkin stated, "The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution." The group went further, accusing the Trump administration of "pitting our uniformed military against American citizens" and urging service members to "refuse illegal orders."
Trump's Explosive Response
On Thursday, Trump responded forcefully by reposting an article about the video on social media with his own commentary, describing the Democrats' actions as "really bad, and Dangerous to our Country."
In a series of posts that escalated rapidly, Trump labelled the behaviour "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!!" and demanded their arrest and trial with his characteristic "LOCK THEM UP???" phrasing. Most alarmingly, he declared in a separate post that this constituted "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH."
The former president amplified the controversy by reposting more than a dozen comments from other accounts criticising Democrats, including one that explicitly called for hanging the lawmakers, referencing George Washington.
Official Reactions and Legal Context
When questioned during a White House briefing about Trump's inflammatory messages, press secretary Karoline Leavitt avoided addressing the death penalty remarks directly. Instead, she focused on criticising the Democrats' video, suggesting their actions could "perhaps be punishable by law" and calling any incitement to "defy the chain of command" dangerous.
Democrats reacted swiftly to Trump's statements, while Republican Speaker Mike Johnson attempted to downplay the severity of Trump's words. Johnson claimed he didn't believe Trump was calling for violence, suggesting the former president was merely "defining a crime." Johnson added, "Think of the threat that is to our national security and what it means for our institution."
The Pentagon entered the fray through spokesperson Sean Parnell, who challenged the underlying premise of the Democrats' video. "Our military follows orders, and our civilians give legal orders," Parnell told The Associated Press. "We love the Constitution. These politicians are out of their minds."
The video's release coincides with ongoing attempts by the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops into American cities for various roles, though some deployments have been withdrawn or delayed by court interventions.
The legal context surrounding military disobedience remains complex. While troops, particularly commanders, have an obligation to reject orders they determine to be unlawful, rank-and-file soldiers rarely have access to legal counsel when carrying out orders. The legal principle established at Nuremberg trials holds that "just following orders" doesn't absolve troops of responsibility, yet the Uniform Code of Military Justice simultaneously punishes service members who fail to follow orders that are ultimately deemed lawful.
