President Donald Trump ignited a political firestorm Thursday when he accused six Democratic lawmakers of “seditious behavior, punishable by death” after they posted a video reminding military personnel of their duty to refuse illegal orders. The social media posts on Nov. 20, 2025, represented some of Trump’s most inflammatory rhetoric targeting elected officials, prompting immediate concerns about political violence and the safety of members of Congress.
The controversy stems from a video posted Tuesday, Nov. 18, by Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin and five other Democratic lawmakers, all of whom are military veterans. The 90-second message was addressed directly to service members and intelligence community professionals. In it, Sens. Slotkin and Mark Kelly of Arizona, along with Reps. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, and Jason Crow of Colorado, spoke about the constitutional obligations of military personnel.
The lawmakers told troops that the Trump administration is pitting uniformed military and intelligence professionals against American citizens. They emphasized that service members swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution and reminded them that current threats to that document are coming from within the country, not just from abroad. The video’s central message was clear: military personnel can refuse illegal orders and, in fact, must refuse them. The lawmakers did not reference any specific policies or orders in their message.
Trump’s response came swiftly on Thursday morning via multiple posts on Truth Social. He called the behavior “seditious” at the highest level and demanded action. Trump wrote that each one of these traitors to the country should be arrested and put on trial. In another post, he added that the behavior constituted “seditious behavior punishable by death.” The president also reposted a message from another Truth Social user that stated, “Hang them, George Washington would.”
The situation escalated throughout the day as lawmakers and officials weighed in on the president’s remarks. At a White House briefing Thursday afternoon, press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked directly whether Trump wants to execute members of Congress. She said no, but went on to criticize the Democratic lawmakers’ video at length. Leavitt accused sitting members of Congress of conspiring to orchestrate a message encouraging service members to defy the president’s lawful orders, though the video specifically referenced illegal orders only.
Leavitt suggested the video may be punishable by law, noting she is not a lawyer and would leave that determination to the Department of Justice and what she called the Department of War. Her comments raised additional questions about potential legal action against the lawmakers, though no such measures have been announced.
The six targeted lawmakers issued a joint statement Thursday responding to Trump’s posts. They called on Americans to unite and condemn what they characterized as the president’s calls for their murder and for political violence. The lawmakers said it was most telling that the president considers it punishable by death for them to restate the law. The lawmakers emphasized their commitment to supporting service members as they fulfill their oath to the Constitution and their obligation to follow only lawful orders.
Rep. Deluzio revealed that he received threats following Trump’s post. He could not share details about his contact with law enforcement but acknowledged taking precautions with the Capitol Police to keep his family safe. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer requested extra Capitol Police protection for the lawmakers featured in the video, reflecting growing concerns about their security.
The controversy raises complex questions about military duty and the chain of command. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, service members are required to follow lawful orders but can be prosecuted for following unlawful ones. This creates a challenging situation for troops who must make rapid determinations about the legality of commands they receive, often without access to legal counsel. The framework aims to prevent a situation where personnel can claim they were just following orders to justify illegal actions, while also protecting those who refuse to participate in unlawful conduct.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Thursday that the Justice Department and Pentagon are examining the legality of the lawmakers’ video. He called their message wildly inappropriate and dangerous, though he declined to fully endorse Trump’s rhetoric about the death penalty. Johnson’s comments reflected the delicate position many Republican lawmakers found themselves in, caught between supporting their party’s president and distancing themselves from his most extreme statements.
By Friday, Trump attempted to clarify his position in an interview with Fox News. He stated he was not threatening death against the lawmakers but believed they were in serious trouble. The president characterized sedition as a strong form of being a traitor, though he did not provide specific legal grounds for such accusations against the Democratic veterans.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions around presidential authority, military independence, and the boundaries of political discourse. All six lawmakers involved served their country in uniform or in intelligence roles before entering Congress, bringing direct experience with the oath they referenced in their video. Their message emphasized constitutional obligations that have been part of military doctrine since World War II, when the duty to disobey unlawful orders became firmly established in American military culture following the Nuremberg trials.
