Six Democratic members of Congress with military or national security backgrounds posted a video on Nov. 18 urging service members and intelligence professionals to refuse unlawful orders and uphold their oath to the Constitution. President Trump denounced the message on Truth Social as “seditious behavior, punishable by death,” drawing condemnation from Democratic leaders and a White House clarification.
On Nov. 18, 2025, six Democratic lawmakers with military or national security experience—Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), and Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.)—posted a video on Facebook addressing members of the military and intelligence community. In the 90-second clip, they repeat, “You can refuse illegal orders… You must refuse illegal orders,” warn that “this administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,” and close with the nautical exhortation, “Don’t give up the ship.” (vpm.org)
The lawmakers did not cite specific directives they consider unlawful but framed the message as a reminder of service members’ oath to the Constitution and the duty to follow the law. (reuters.com)
Trump responded on Truth Social, calling the video “really bad, and dangerous to our country,” adding, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” and later, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” He also reposted user comments calling for the lawmakers to be hanged or indicted. (reuters.com)
At the White House briefing on Nov. 20, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president does not want lawmakers executed, while arguing the video undermines the chain of command: “The sanctity of our military rests on the chain of command, and if that chain of command is broken, it can lead to people getting killed. It can lead to chaos.” (vpm.org)
The six Democrats issued a joint statement: “We are veterans and national security professionals who love this country and swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath lasts a lifetime… No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation.” (vpm.org)
House Democratic leaders—Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar—urged Trump to delete the posts, calling them “disgusting and dangerous death threats,” and said they had contacted the House Sergeant at Arms and U.S. Capitol Police to ensure the members’ safety. (vpm.org)
Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, called the Democrats’ message “insurrection” in a Fox News appearance and said the lawmakers were urging defiance of the commander in chief; local coverage of Associated Press reporting quoted him saying Democrats were “openly calling for insurrection.” (realclearpolitics.com)
On Nov. 19, Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum pressed Crow on her program, The Story, to identify any current unlawful orders. Crow cited past Trump remarks—including a reported suggestion during the 2020 Lafayette Square protests to “shoot [protesters] in the legs,” talk of sending troops to cities like Chicago to “go to war,” and allusions to troops at polling sites—and said the video was meant to prepare service members for potential problems. MacCallum noted those were not standing military orders and pushed for specifics. (foxnews.com)
Under military law, service members must obey lawful orders and can be punished for complying with illegal ones; the Uniform Code of Military Justice also contains a sedition provision for troops, while civilian “seditious conspiracy” carries up to 20 years in prison. The clash underscores a long‑running tension between the military’s obligation to reject unlawful commands and the importance of the chain of command. (reuters.com)
