United States President Donald Trump has accused a number of Democratic members of Congress of “seditious behaviour” over their name for the navy to not obey “unlawful” instructions.
On Tuesday, six Democrats – all veterans of the US navy or its intelligence companies – revealed a video on social media advising navy and intelligence officers to “refuse illegal orders” that they may obtain.
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In a livid string of posts on his Fact Social platform, Trump responded to the video, saying the US lawmakers must be arrested and even advised that their behaviour may very well be “punishable by dying”.
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, straight addressing the nation’s present navy and intelligence officers.
Within the video, the six Congress members stated: “We all know you’re underneath huge stress and stress proper now. People belief their navy, however that belief is in danger.”
“This administration is pitting our uniformed navy and intelligence neighborhood 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 residence. Our legal guidelines are clear. You possibly can refuse unlawful orders. You should refuse unlawful orders,” they added.
“Nobody has to hold out orders that violate the legislation 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 need to converse on to members of the Army and the Intelligence Group.
The American folks want you to face up for our legal guidelines and our Structure.
Don’t surrender the ship. pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 18, 2025
How has Trump responded?
In a put up on Fact Social on Thursday, Trump lambasted the lawmakers and stated their behaviour was “seditious”, looking for to incite folks to insurgent in opposition to his authority.
“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL,” he wrote.
“Every considered one of these traitors to our Nation must 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 put up the identical day, Trump shared a report by the Washington Examiner on the Democrats’ video and advised 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 dying due to their behaviour and wrote on Fact Social: SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
Requested by White Home reporters if the president would truly sentence the congresspeople to dying, press secretary Leavitt stated, “No.”
Nonetheless, she insisted that not one of the President’s orders or insurance policies to this point had been in opposition to the legislation.
“Each single order that’s given to this United States navy by this commander-in-chief and thru this chain of command – via the secretary of conflict – is lawful,” she informed 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 stated, including that the Democrats “must be held accountable” for “their harmful rhetoric”.
What do Democrats imply by ‘unlawful orders’?
The six Democrats didn’t specify which orders they had 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 told Fox Information that if the Democrats couldn’t “title the illegal orders”, it might be cowardly.
“For those who can’t title the illegal orders that these guys are citing of their video, you realize, that simply reveals me that you simply don’t have the braveness to even name out what you’re speaking about,” he stated.
In a separate phase of Fox Information, additionally on Thursday, anchor Martha Callum grilled Colorado Democratic Consultant Crow about what orders they thought of unlawful.
Referring to the unrest which occurred 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 stated, ‘Can’t you simply shoot them within the legs or one thing’, that’s his direct quote.”
Callum stated 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 military 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 stated that might be a violation of US legislation.
“US felony legislation prohibits troops from going to polling stations,” he added.
MacCALLUM: You are implying that Trump would possibly do one thing they would not need to uphold. What are you speaking about?
CROW: The protests at Lafayette Sq. the place he stated, ‘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 put up on X on Wednesday, Crow identified that the latest US bombing campaign of alleged Venezuelan drug trafficking boats within the Caribbean Sea additionally violates US legislation.
“The President is trampling on the Structure,” Crow wrote. “Cease politicizing our troops. Cease unlawful navy 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 navy 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 stated: “These assaults – and their mounting human price – are unacceptable.”
The Trump administration has argued that the strikes are essential for anti-drug and counterterrorism operations, however Volker added that operations to counter illicit drug trafficking should adhere to worldwide legislation.
“Below worldwide human rights legislation, the intentional use of deadly drive is barely permissible as a final resort in opposition to people who pose an imminent risk to life,” he stated and referred to as on the US to cease what he stated had been “extrajudicial killing of individuals aboard these boats”.
In a joint assertion late on Thursday, the Democrats within the video said: “No risk, intimidation, or name for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation.”
“What’s most telling is that the president considers it punishable by dying for us to restate the legislation,” they stated and added that People ought to unite and “condemn the President’s requires our homicide and political violence”.
“This can be a time for ethical readability. In these moments, concern is contagious, however so is braveness. We’ll 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 america. That oath lasts a…
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 20, 2025
Referring to Trump’s threats in opposition to them, Pennsylvania Consultant Deluzio informed US broadcaster NBC Information on Thursday: “It’s a darkish day within the nation for any president to say such a factor.”
“We now have to finish this scourge. And but Donald Trump is the particular person with essentially the most energy who can carry the temperature down, and as an alternative, he threatens to have us killed,” he stated.
In the meantime, Minority Chief Chuck Schumer informed the Senate on Thursday that what the president wrote “is an outright risk, and it’s lethal severe”.
“When Donald Trump makes use of the language of execution and treason, a few of his supporters could very effectively hear,” Schumer added. “He’s lighting a match in a rustic soaked with political gasoline.”
What does the US navy 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 “information 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 legislation enacted in 1951 and applies to all lively armed forces members, armed forces college students, in addition to lively Nationwide Guard members.
According to the workplace of US Lawyer Peter Kageleiry Jr, who specialises in navy legislation, failure to obey lawful orders can result in punishments like “dishonourable discharge (from obligation) and forfeiture of all pay and allowances.”
Nonetheless, 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 stated a few of Trump’s insurance policies or orders within the latest previous do violate US legislation.
Earlier this month, federal Decide Karin Immergut ruled 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 had been waging a riot that legally justified sending troops.
On Friday this week, federal Decide Jia Cobb stated Trump’s military takeover of Washington, DC, in August – to fight violent crime there, he stated – violates the Structure and ordered the president to finish the deployment of troops there.
Cobb dominated that the president can’t deploy troopers for “no matter purpose” he needs, and gave his administration 21 days to enchantment the order earlier than it goes into impact.
In October, a federal decide in Chicago quickly blocked Trump’s deployment of hundreds 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 Insurrection Act to ship troopers to US cities, because the states of Illinois and Oregon proceed to battle federal navy deployments in courtroom.
“We now have an Riot Act for a purpose. If I needed to enact it, I’d try this,” Trump informed reporters within the Oval Workplace on Monday.
In the meantime, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has stated the maritime strikes on Venezuelan boats by US forces quantity to “extrajudicial killings”.
“US officers can’t summarily kill folks they accuse of smuggling medication,” stated Sarah Yager, Washington director at HRW. “The issue of narcotics coming into america shouldn’t be an armed battle, and US officers can’t 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, informed Al Jazeera in October that underneath 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 professional self-defence underneath Article 51.
And the US declare that strikes in opposition to “drug traffickers” close to Venezuela quantity to self-defence “seems legally untenable”, Regilme stated.
However Trump has usually indicated that he considers himself above the legislation.
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 underneath lockdown as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, Trump informed reporters that solely he and no public well being skilled or native chief had the authority to raise lockdown orders.
“When someone is the president of america, the authority is whole and that’s the way in which it’s bought to be … It’s whole,” he stated.
