President Donald Trump sparked a firestorm on Thursday after accusing six Democratic members of Congress of “seditious behavior, punishable by death” in response to a video they released urging U.S. servicemembers and intelligence officials to refuse illegal orders.
In a series of fiery posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote in all caps: “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 a follow-up post, he added, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” The president also reposted messages from supporters, including one that declared, “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD!!”
The video that triggered the president’s outrage featured six Democratic lawmakers with military and national security backgrounds: Senators Elissa Slotkin (Michigan) and Mark Kelly (Arizona), and Representatives Jason Crow (Colorado), Chris Deluzio (Pennsylvania), Chrissy Houlahan (Pennsylvania), and Maggie Goodlander (New Hampshire). Titled “Don’t give up the ship,” the lawmakers told current service members: “You must refuse illegal orders… No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.” They did not specify which orders they believed were illegal, though Democrats have previously criticized Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to U.S. cities and certain overseas military actions.
White House Response At Thursday’s press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied that Trump was calling for the lawmakers’ execution. “No,” she said when asked directly. However, she accused the Democrats of deliberately undermining the chain of command by using their veteran and intelligence credentials to signal that troops could defy the commander-in-chief. “That is a very, very dangerous message, and it perhaps is punishable by law,” Leavitt said.
Democratic Outrage Democrats quickly condemned the president’s words as a direct threat. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took to the Senate floor, declaring: “Let’s be crystal clear – the president of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials. This is an outright threat, and it’s deadly serious.” He warned that Trump’s rhetoric made political violence more likely.
The six lawmakers issued a joint statement saying they would not be intimidated and that their oath to the Constitution “lasts a lifetime.” They added, “What’s most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic leadership said they were coordinating with the Capitol Police and House Sergeant at Arms to protect the lawmakers and their families. Some members, including Senator Slotkin, received additional security details.
Bipartisan Unease, but Limited GOP Pushback Even some Republicans expressed discomfort. Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime Trump ally, called the president’s language “over the top,” though he also labeled the Democrats’ video “despicable.” Senator Rand Paul said it was not “a good idea to talk about jailing your political opponents, or hanging them.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump, arguing that the Democrats’ video was “wildly inappropriate” and “unprecedented,” and claimed Trump was simply defining the legal meaning of sedition.
Broader Context The clash comes amid ongoing legal battles over Trump’s use of military forces on U.S. soil and follows a pattern of the president celebrating indictments against longtime critics, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
As of Thursday evening, the video remained online, Trump’s posts had not been deleted, and the political temperature in Washington continued to rise. Many lawmakers – on both sides of the aisle – are now calling for a de-escalation of rhetoric before the situation spirals further.