US President Donald Trump has accused six Democratic lawmakers of seditious behavior, punishable by death, after they released a video urging US service members to refuse unlawful commands.
This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???, Trump wrote on social media.
The six lawmakers, all of whom have served in the military or intelligence community, called Trump's remarks dangerous and said they amounted to threats against elected officials.
No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation, they said in a joint statement.
The video by Democrats, shared by Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, includes Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and Representatives Chris DeLuzio, Maggie Goodlander, Chrissy Houlahan, and Jason Crow. Senator Kelly, a Navy veteran, stated: Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our constitution.
The bipartisan tension escalated when Trump further posted, It's called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Subsequent comments by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that Trump's responses were focused on the lawmakers' actions rather than calls for violence against them.
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump, describing the Democrats' video as wildly inappropriate. In contrast, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged the president to renounce his incendiary rhetoric.
The incident reflects ongoing concerns about increasing political violence in the US, as evidenced by a recent Pew Research Center study indicating that 85% of Americans believe violence is on the rise. The situation calls attention to the impact of political discourse on public safety and the stability of democratic processes.
