US President Donald Trump accused six Democratic lawmakers of “seditious behaviour, punishable by death” after they posted a video asking US service members not to follow illegal orders.
“This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???,” Trump wrote on social media.
The six lawmakers, all with experience in the military or intelligence services, said his comments were dangerous and felt like threats against elected leaders.
What’s the video about?
The video, released on Tuesday, shows six Democratic lawmakers who previously worked in the military or in intelligence. The group includes senators Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, and representatives Maggie Goodlander, Chris Deluzio, Chrissy Houlahan and Jason Crow.
In the 90-second message, they remind service members that, just like them, they once took an oath to protect the Constitution. They warned that the danger to the Constitution is not only from other countries but also from within the US. They went on to emphasise that the law is clear that military personnel can reject unlawful commands, and they are required to do so. No one is expected to follow orders that break the law or go against the Constitution.
Their message did not go down well with the US president. Trump took to Truth Social and reacted to the video 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.”
In another post, he wrote, “This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP??? President DJT.” In a third post, he added: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” He also reposted a statement that said: “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”
‘Recant violent rhetoric before someone gets killed’ – Democrats express outrage
Democrats reacted strongly after Donald Trump’s post. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic whip Katherine Clark and caucus chair Pete Aguilar issued a joint response saying that political violence has no place in the country. They condemned Trump’s statements as dangerous and urged House Republicans to openly denounce them as well.
The Democratic leaders also said they had spoken to the House sergeant at arms and the US Capitol police to make sure the lawmakers and their families were protected. They urged Trump to delete his posts and take back his words before they lead to real harm.
“Donald Trump must immediately delete these unhinged social media posts and recant his violent rhetoric before he gets someone killed,” the statement said.
The lawmakers featured in the video also released their own statement. They said they are veterans and national security professionals who deeply care about the country and took an oath to defend the Constitution, an oath they intend to honour for life. They said no threats or attempts to scare them will stop them from fulfilling that duty.
They noted that it was revealing that the President saw their reminder of existing law as something worthy of death. They said service members need to know that these lawmakers support them as they follow the Constitution and obey only lawful commands, and stressed that this is both the correct and required action.
They added that all Americans must stand together and reject the president’s calls for violence against them. They said this moment requires clear moral judgment.