Trump Accuses Six Veteran Lawmakers of Sedition ‘Punishable by Death’ After Military Video — Lawmakers Vow to ‘Not Be Silenced’
Trump’s Sedition : President Trump labels bipartisan group of veteran lawmakers ‘traitors,’ amplifies calls to ‘hang them,’ sparking fears of political violence amid deepening constitutional crisis
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday accused six Democratic lawmakers of “seditious behaviour, punishable by DEATH” after they released a video urging U.S. military personnel to refuse unlawful orders, escalating tensions between the White House and Congress to unprecedented levels and prompting condemnation from Democratic leaders who called the statements “dangerous death threats.”
The targeted lawmakers — all veterans of the armed forces or intelligence community — include Representative Jason Crow of Colorado, a decorated Army Ranger and Bronze Star recipient who served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a defiant response, Crow declared he would not be silenced by the president’s threats.
“What he’s trying to do is use fear and intimidation and threats to silence opposition,” Crow said in a CNN interview Thursday. “And if he’s successful in doing that, we are all lost. I’m not going to allow him to do it.”
The Video That Sparked the Firestorm
The controversy centers on a 90-second video posted Tuesday titled “Don’t Give Up the Ship” — a historic naval phrase dating to the War of 1812 that has long symbolized perseverance and duty. In the video, the six lawmakers address service members directly, invoking their own military backgrounds while reminding troops of their constitutional obligations.
“This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,” the lawmakers state in the video, which has been viewed more than 1.6 million times. “Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats coming to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad but from right here at home.”
The video repeatedly emphasizes that service members “can refuse illegal orders” and “must refuse illegal orders” — a principle enshrined in the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which requires troops to obey only lawful commands.
Trump’s Response: ‘Traitors’ Deserving Death
Trump responded with a series of incendiary posts on Truth Social. In one post, he wrote: “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 a follow-up message approximately 40 minutes later, Trump added: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
The president also amplified posts from supporters calling for violence against the lawmakers, including one that stated: “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”
When asked during Thursday’s White House briefing whether Trump wanted to execute members of Congress, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said “No.” However, she defended the president’s broader characterization of the video, accusing the lawmakers of encouraging troops to “defy the chain of command.”
The Lawmakers Under Fire
The six Democrats who appeared in the video bring decades of combined military and intelligence experience:
- Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan): Former CIA analyst who served three tours in Iraq
- Senator Mark Kelly (D-Arizona): Former Navy combat pilot and NASA astronaut
- Representative Jason Crow (D-Colorado): Former Army Ranger, Bronze Star recipient, three combat tours
- Representative Chris Deluzio (D-Pennsylvania): Navy veteran
- Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pennsylvania): Air Force veteran
- Representative Maggie Goodlander (D-New Hampshire): Former U.S. Naval Reserve intelligence officer
In a joint statement, the lawmakers said they “will not be intimidated” and called for Americans to unite against the president’s rhetoric.
“What’s most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law,” they wrote. “Our service members should know that we have their backs as they fulfill their oath to the Constitution and obligation to follow only lawful orders.”
Real Threats Emerge
Representative Chris Deluzio told NBC News Thursday that he has received direct threats since Trump’s posts and is coordinating with Capitol Police to ensure his family’s safety.
“Let’s start with what he said, which he called for my hanging and my death along with several of my colleagues,” Deluzio said. “And it’s a dark day in the country for any president to say such a thing.”
Senator Slotkin was accompanied by U.S. Capitol Police officers to a Washington event Thursday afternoon. Democratic congressional leaders announced they have been in contact with the House Sergeant at Arms to assess security for all six lawmakers.
Constitutional Questions at the Heart of the Dispute
The video emerged against the backdrop of escalating concerns about the Trump administration’s domestic and international military operations. The lawmakers have introduced legislation to limit presidential authority over National Guard deployments in American cities and military strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean.
Military legal experts note that the obligation to refuse unlawful orders is fundamental to the American military tradition — not a partisan invention. The principle was notably established during the Nuremberg trials, where “just following orders” was rejected as a defense for war crimes.
“This is only a restatement of what every officer and enlisted servicemember already knows: illegal orders can and should be refused,” wrote The Steady State, a network of more than 300 national security experts, in response to the controversy.
Partisan Reactions Divide Washington
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned Trump’s posts from the Senate floor, warning that the president was “lighting a match in a country soaked with political gasoline.”
“When Donald Trump uses the language of execution and treason, some of his supporters may very well listen,” Schumer said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump, characterizing the president’s statements as merely “defining a crime” rather than calling for violence. Johnson called the Democrats’ video “wildly inappropriate.”
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller went further, calling the lawmakers’ message “insurrection — plainly, directly, without question.”
Crow: ‘I’ve Seen Friends Give Everything’
For Crow, the confrontation is deeply personal. The 46-year-old congressman enlisted in the National Guard to pay for his education before transitioning to active duty following the September 11 attacks. He served in the 82nd Airborne Division and the elite 75th Ranger Regiment, earning the Bronze Star for his actions during the Iraq invasion.
During the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, Crow was among the representatives trapped inside the building. A photo of him comforting a distressed colleague went viral, and he later described slipping back “into combat mode” during the siege.
“We have to take everything that Donald Trump says seriously,” Crow said Thursday. “He throws a lot of stuff out there, but some of the things he carries through on.”
He added: “I took an oath to the Constitution. I’ve seen friends and people that I’ve served with give everything to uphold that oath. I will not allow Donald Trump to silence me.”
What Comes Next
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar issued a joint statement calling Trump’s posts “disgusting and dangerous death threats” and demanding that House Republicans condemn the president’s language.
“There is no bottom when it comes to Donald Trump,” the statement read. “The President’s violent and unhinged rhetoric against American patriots is consistent with his well-documented history of attacking prisoners of war, Gold Star families and war heroes.”
As of Thursday evening, no prominent Republican lawmaker had publicly condemned the president’s statements, while the targeted Democrats vowed to continue their advocacy.
“In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage,” the lawmakers wrote. “We will continue to lead and will not be intimidated.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.………