Trump demands arrest of Dem ‘traitors’ who urged military to refuse ‘illegal orders’: ‘punishable by DEATH!’
President Trump blasted six Democratic lawmakers who released a video on social media urging service members to defy “illegal orders” by the administration. REUTERS
President Trump on Thursday criticized six Democratic lawmakers who released a video this week urging service members to refuse “illegal orders” from the administration.
“It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday morning.
“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,” he added, sharing messages from supporters, including one urging in all caps, “Hang them George Washington would !!”
The 60-second video, titled “Don’t Give Up The Ship,” featured Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Rep. Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, and Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado.
The lawmakers said in the video, released Tuesday, that military and intelligence personnel are facing pressure from the administration, and emphasized that “you can refuse illegal orders … you must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.”
We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship. pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 18, 2025
Trump followed up with additional posts on Truth Social, calling the lawmakers’ actions “Really bad, and Dangerous to our Country,” and describing their behavior as “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
All six Democrats have military or national security backgrounds. Crow is an Army veteran who received a Bronze Star for service in Iraq. Deluzio and Kelly served in the Navy, Houlahan in the Air Force, and Goodlander as a Navy Reserve intelligence officer. Slotkin previously worked as a CIA analyst and held roles in the State Department and Pentagon during the Obama administration.
In a joint statement, the lawmakers responded: “No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us. What’s most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law. Every American must unite and condemn the President’s calls for our murder and political violence. We will continue to lead and will not be intimidated.”
The video did not identify specific orders as illegal, nor did it directly name Trump or War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who dismissed the video as “Stage 4 TDS [Trump Derangement Syndrome]” in a post on X.
Separately, Slotkin introduced the No Troops in Our Streets Act last week, which would allow Congress to block or terminate National Guard deployments by majority vote. Crow introduced a war powers resolution Tuesday aimed at preventing the White House from conducting further strikes on suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific.
“After decades of overseas wars, trillions of dollars spent, and thousands of lives lost, the American people deserve a public debate and vote on military actions and putting our servicemembers in harm’s way,” Crow said.
House and Senate Democratic leaders also condemned Trump’s posts. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) said they had contacted the House Sergeant at Arms and U.S. Capitol Police to ensure the safety of the members involved.
“Donald Trump must immediately delete these unhinged social media posts and recant his violent rhetoric before he gets someone killed,” they said in a statement. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called the posts “an outright threat” and warned that some of Trump’s supporters might take his language seriously.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) criticized the Democrats who made the video, calling their actions “out of control and wildly inappropriate,” and said Congress must maintain higher standards in public discourse.
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