On Thursday, President Donald Trump suggested that Democratic lawmakers who called on service members and intelligence officials not to follow unlawful orders should be executed, sparking outrage among Democrats on Capitol Hill, who believe the president is trying to incite violence. “TREASONOUS BEHAVIOR PUNISHABLE BY DEATH!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, commenting on a video featuring half a dozen members of Congress, all former military or intelligence officials, who urged active personnel in those agencies to “refuse to carry out illegal orders.” “This is what you call HIGH TREASON. Every one of these traitors to our country should be ARRESTED AND PROSECUTED,” Trump wrote. He also reposted several messages from other users, including one that read: “HANG THEM AS GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD HAVE!!” These statements immediately drew condemnation from Democrats, who branded Trump’s comments as an attempt to incite violence, and even attracted the attention of some members of his own party. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch Trump supporter who previously served as a military lawyer in the reserves, said the president’s remarks were “over the top,” although he called the Democrats’ video “disgusting.” And Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky said he does not think it is “a really good idea to talk about putting political opponents in jail or hanging them or anything else.” Later, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied that Trump was calling for the execution of the lawmakers, asserting that members of Congress with national security experience should not be encouraging anyone to disobey the administration’s orders. “These members knew what they were doing. They appealed to their credentials, as former service members, as veterans, as former national security staff, to signal to the people serving under this Commander-in-Chief, Donald Trump, that you can disobey him and betray your oath,” Leavitt said. “This is a very, very dangerous message. And it is potentially punishable by law.” In a joint statement, the six Democratic lawmakers featured in the video—Senators সম্প্রদElissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, and Representatives Jason Crow, Maggie Goodlander, Chris DeLuzio, and Chrissy Houlahan—stated that they would “not be intimidated.” “The most telling thing is that the President considers the very act of our repeating the law punishable by death. Our service members must know that we have their back when they uphold their oath of allegiance to the Constitution and their duty to follow only lawful orders. This is not only right, but it is our duty,” part of the lawmakers’ statement read. “But this is not about any of us. This is not politics. This is about who we are as Americans. Every American should stand together and condemn the President’s calls for our murder and political violence. This is a time for moral clarity.” On Thursday, Slotkin was accompanied by US Capitol Police officers at an event in Washington, D.C. Her team requested additional USCP presence for the event, which took place outside of Capitol Hill, according to a source familiar with the situation. “I think once the overwhelming majority of Americans realize that they have the power to stand up against this rhetoric and this threat, that’s when we really turn the tide,” she said at the event. DeLuzio called on both parties to unite against what he called “Trump’s outrageous call for political violence.” “This is a moment where Democrats, Republicans, and everyone else in the country should condemn his calls for political violence,” he told CNN. Crow, in turn, warned CNN that Trump’s statements should be taken seriously. “We must take everything Donald Trump says seriously. He throws a lot of things out there, but some things he follows through on,” he noted. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the comments an “open threat” and stated that Trump was “calling for the execution of elected officials.” He added from the Senate floor, “This is an open threat, and it is deadly serious.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his leadership said they were in contact with law enforcement to ensure the safety of the lawmakers. “We have been in contact with the House Sergeant-at-Arms and the United States Capitol Police to ensure the safety of these members and their families. Donald Trump must immediately remove these insane social media posts and abandon his inflammatory rhetoric before he causes someone’s death,” they stated. When asked about the president’s comments, Senate Majority Leader John Thune stated that he disagreed with them but called the video that provoked the reaction “unnecessary.” “I don’t agree with that. Obviously, everyone has First Amendment rights. But what they did was reckless, provocative, and unnecessary,” he said. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, similarly called the video “wildly inappropriate” while defending Trump. Although he later admitted he would not have used the same language. “We will let others make the legal judgments on how… the words the President chose are not the words I would use, okay,” Johnson said Thursday evening. “Obviously, I don’t think it’s… these are capital crimes or anything like that,” he added. The lawmakers who posted the video that triggered Trump’s reaction did not specify what exact orders active service members might have received or could receive that would be illegal. “No one should ever follow an order that violates the law or our Constitution,” they said in the video, adding, “Know that we have your back… Do not stand down.” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated on Wednesday that the Department of Justice would be “looking very closely” at the actions of these lawmakers, calling it a “disgusting and inappropriate display of faux leadership from the Democratic Party.”
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