United States President Donald Trump has accused a number of Democratic members of Congress of “seditious behaviour” over their name for the army to not obey “unlawful” instructions.
On Tuesday, six Democrats – all veterans of the US army or its intelligence providers – printed a video on social media advising army and intelligence officers to “refuse unlawful orders” that they may obtain.
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In a livid string of posts on his Reality Social platform, Trump responded to the video, saying the US lawmakers ought to be arrested and even prompt that their behaviour might be “punishable by demise”.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt, nevertheless, clarified to reporters in Washington, DC, on Thursday that Trump doesn’t intend for members of Congress to be executed.
What’s behind the Democrats’ warning video and Trump’s newest threats?
Right here’s what we all know:
What did Democrats say?
On November 18, Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Consultant Chris Deluzio, New Hampshire Consultant Maggie Goodlander, Pennsylvania Consultant Chrissy Houlahan and Colorado Consultant Jason Crow posted a video on social media, immediately addressing the nation’s present army and intelligence officers.
Within the video, the six Congress members mentioned: “We all know you’re beneath huge stress and stress proper now. People belief their army, however that belief is in danger.”
“This administration is pitting our uniformed army and intelligence group professionals in opposition to Americans. Like us, you all swore an oath to guard and defend this Structure. Proper now, the threats coming to our Structure aren’t simply coming from overseas however from proper right here at house. Our legal guidelines are clear. You possibly can refuse unlawful orders. You need to refuse unlawful orders,” they added.
“Nobody has to hold out orders that violate the regulation or our Structure.”
The Democratic congresspeople, nevertheless, didn’t specify which orders or insurance policies from Trump’s administration would possibly violate the US Structure.
We wish to communicate on to members of the Army and the Intelligence Neighborhood.
The American folks want you to face up for our legal guidelines and our Structure.
Don’t quit the ship. pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 18, 2025
How has Trump responded?
In a publish on Reality Social on Thursday, Trump lambasted the lawmakers and mentioned their behaviour was “seditious”, in search of to incite folks to insurgent in opposition to his authority.
“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL,” he wrote.
“Every one in all these traitors to our Nation ought to be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their phrases can’t be allowed to face – We received’t have a Nation anymore!!! An instance MUST BE SET,” he added.
In one other publish the identical day, Trump shared a report by the Washington Examiner on the Democrats’ video and prompt arresting them.
“That is actually unhealthy, and Harmful to our Nation. Their phrases can’t be allowed to face. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???”
An hour later, Trump appeared to counsel sentencing the Democrat lawmakers to demise due to their behaviour and wrote on Reality Social: SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
Requested by White Home reporters if the president would really sentence the congresspeople to demise, press secretary Leavitt mentioned, “No.”
Nevertheless, she insisted that not one of the President’s orders or insurance policies up to now had been in opposition to the regulation.
“Each single order that’s given to this United States army by this commander-in-chief and thru this chain of command – via the secretary of conflict – is lawful,” she instructed a information briefing on Thursday.
“We do issues by the books. And to counsel and encourage that active-duty service members defy the chain of command is a really harmful factor for sitting members of Congress to do,” she mentioned, including that the Democrats “ought to be held accountable” for “their harmful rhetoric”.
What do Democrats imply by ‘unlawful orders’?
The six Democrats didn’t specify which orders they have been referring to as being “unlawful” or in opposition to the Structure.
Earlier than Trump responded to the video, Republican Consultant of Arizona Eli Crane instructed Fox Information that if the Democrats couldn’t “identify the illegal orders”, it will be cowardly.
“If you happen to can’t identify the illegal orders that these guys are citing of their video, you understand, that simply exhibits me that you just don’t have the braveness to even name out what you’re speaking about,” he mentioned.
In a separate section of Fox Information, additionally on Thursday, anchor Martha Callum grilled Colorado Democratic Consultant Crow about what orders they thought-about unlawful.
Referring to the unrest which passed off after the killing of Black man George Floyd by a police officer in 2020 throughout Trump’s first time period as president, Crow responded, “The protests at Lafayette Sq., the place he mentioned, ‘Can’t you simply shoot them within the legs or one thing’, that’s his direct quote.”
Callum mentioned it was not an order, however “a remark”.
Crow replied: “That’s coming from the president of the US to your generals … he’s additionally threatened to ship the army into Chicago and different cities and go to conflict with these cities. That could be a very disturbing factor.”
Crow added that Trump had additionally alluded to sending troops to polling stations throughout elections and mentioned that may be a violation of US regulation.
“US legal regulation prohibits troops from going to polling stations,” he added.
MacCALLUM: You are implying that Trump would possibly do one thing they would not wish to uphold. What are you speaking about?
CROW: The protests at Lafayette Sq. the place he mentioned, ‘Cannot you simply shoot them within the legs’
MacCALLUM: That is not an order. That is a remark
CROW: That is coming… pic.twitter.com/9nyHUIHE5f
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 19, 2025
In a separate publish on X on Wednesday, Crow identified that the latest US bombing marketing campaign of alleged Venezuelan drug trafficking boats within the Caribbean Sea additionally violates US regulation.
“The President is trampling on the Structure,” Crow wrote. “Cease politicizing our troops. Cease unlawful army strikes. Cease pitting our servicemembers in opposition to the American folks.”
Oh no, we triggered Snowflake Stephen!
The President is trampling on the Structure.
Cease politicizing our troops.
Cease unlawful army strikes.
Cease pitting our servicemembers in opposition to the American folks. https://t.co/6r4AAy8l43
— Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) November 18, 2025
Greater than 60 folks have been killed in US strikes on boats within the Caribbean and the Pacific. Final month, UN Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk mentioned: “These assaults – and their mounting human value – are unacceptable.”
The Trump administration has argued that the strikes are mandatory for anti-drug and counterterrorism operations, however Volker added that operations to counter illicit drug trafficking should adhere to worldwide regulation.
“Underneath worldwide human rights regulation, the intentional use of deadly drive is just permissible as a final resort in opposition to people who pose an imminent menace to life,” he mentioned and known as on the US to cease what he mentioned have been “extrajudicial killing of individuals aboard these boats”.
In a joint assertion late on Thursday, the Democrats within the video mentioned: “No menace, intimidation, or name for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation.”
“What’s most telling is that the president considers it punishable by demise for us to restate the regulation,” they mentioned and added that People ought to unite and “condemn the President’s requires our homicide and political violence”.
“It is a time for ethical readability. In these moments, worry is contagious, however so is braveness. We are going to proceed to steer and won’t be intimidated. Don’t Give Up the Ship!”
A joint assertion from myself @SenMarkKelly, @RepJasonCrow, @RepDeluzio, @RepGoodlander and @RepHoulahan.
“We’re veterans and nationwide safety professionals who love this nation and swore an oath to guard and defend the Structure of the USA. That oath lasts a…
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 20, 2025
Referring to Trump’s threats in opposition to them, Pennsylvania Consultant Deluzio instructed US broadcaster NBC Information on Thursday: “It’s a darkish day within the nation for any president to say such a factor.”
“Now we have to finish this scourge. And but Donald Trump is the particular person with probably the most energy who can convey the temperature down, and as a substitute, he threatens to have us killed,” he mentioned.
In the meantime, Minority Chief Chuck Schumer instructed the Senate on Thursday that what the president wrote “is an outright menace, and it’s lethal severe”.
“When Donald Trump makes use of the language of execution and treason, a few of his supporters might very effectively hear,” Schumer added. “He’s lighting a match in a rustic soaked with political gasoline.”
What does the US army oath of enlistment say about following authorized and unlawful orders?
Article 92 of the US Uniform Code of Army Justice states that any one who “violates or fails to obey any lawful common order or regulation” or has “data of every other lawful order issued by a member of the armed forces” and fails to obey it, or “is derelict within the efficiency of his duties”, shall be punished.
The US Code of Army Justice is a federal regulation enacted in 1951 and applies to all energetic armed forces members, armed forces college students, in addition to energetic Nationwide Guard members.
In accordance with the workplace of US Lawyer Peter Kageleiry Jr, who specialises in army regulation, failure to obey lawful orders can result in punishments like “dishonourable discharge (from obligation) and forfeiture of all pay and allowances.”
Nevertheless, an order is taken into account illegal if it violates the US Structure.
Has Trump given any unlawful orders?
It’s debatable. Some judges have mentioned a few of Trump’s insurance policies or orders within the latest previous do violate US regulation.
Earlier this month, federal Decide Karin Immergut dominated that Trump had unlawfully ordered Nationwide Guard troops to Portland, Oregon.
Immergut, a Trump appointee, rejected the administration’s declare that protesters at an immigration detention facility have been waging a insurrection that legally justified sending troops.
On Friday this week, federal Decide Jia Cobb mentioned Trump’s army takeover of Washington, DC, in August – to fight violent crime there, he mentioned – violates the Structure and ordered the president to finish the deployment of troops there.
Cobb dominated that the president can not deploy troopers for “no matter motive” he needs, and gave his administration 21 days to attraction the order earlier than it goes into impact.
In October, a federal decide in Chicago briefly blocked Trump’s deployment of a whole lot of Nationwide Guard troopers in Illinois. That ruling was upheld by the Chicago-based US Court docket of Appeals for the seventh Circuit later within the month.
In response, Trump threatened to make use of the Riot Act to ship troopers to US cities, because the states of Illinois and Oregon proceed to struggle federal army deployments in court docket.
“Now we have an Riot Act for a motive. If I needed to enact it, I’d try this,” Trump instructed reporters within the Oval Workplace on Monday.
In the meantime, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has mentioned the maritime strikes on Venezuelan boats by US forces quantity to “extrajudicial killings”.
“US officers can not summarily kill folks they accuse of smuggling medicine,” mentioned Sarah Yager, Washington director at HRW. “The issue of narcotics getting into the USA isn’t an armed battle, and US officers can not circumvent their human rights obligations by pretending in any other case.”
Salvador Santino Regilme, a political scientist who leads the worldwide relations programme at Leiden College, instructed Al Jazeera in October that beneath Article 2(4) of the United Nations Constitution, using drive by one state in opposition to one other is prohibited besides when authorised by the UN Safety Council or exercised in legit self-defence beneath Article 51.
And the US declare that strikes in opposition to “drug traffickers” close to Venezuela quantity to self-defence “seems legally untenable”, Regilme mentioned.
However Trump has usually indicated that he considers himself above the regulation.
In February, he wrote on X: “He who saves his Nation doesn’t violate any Legislation.”
He who saves his Nation doesn’t violate any Legislation.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2025
In April 2020, throughout his first time period as president, when the US was beneath lockdown as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, Trump instructed reporters that solely he and no public well being skilled or native chief had the authority to elevate lockdown orders.
“When any person is the president of the USA, the authority is whole and that’s the best way it’s received to be … It’s whole,” he mentioned.
