On November 20, 2025, President Donald Trump unleashed a political firestorm by publicly threatening a group of Democratic congressional veterans with charges of sedition—calling their actions "punishable by DEATH"—after the lawmakers released a video urging military and intelligence personnel to refuse unlawful orders. The episode has ignited fierce debate in Washington, raising deep questions about presidential rhetoric, the rule of law, and the limits of dissent in a polarized America.
Trump’s incendiary comments appeared in a pair of posts on his platform, Truth Social. In the first, he declared, "This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???" Roughly forty minutes later, he added, "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!" According to Axios, these posts followed a video released on November 18 by six Democratic senators and representatives—all military or intelligence service veterans—reminding uniformed personnel of their legal duty to refuse illegal orders.
The video, posted on X (formerly Twitter), featured Senators Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, alongside Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania. Their message was clear and direct: "No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution," they stated. "You must refuse illegal orders." The lawmakers, veterans of the Navy, CIA, Air Force, and Army Rangers, emphasized the gravity of the moment: "This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens. Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this constitution."
The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) is explicit: service members are not only permitted, but sometimes required, to refuse orders that are illegal. This principle was cemented in the 1969 United States v. Keenan case, in which a military court ruled that "obedience to a lawful order is justified, but one in execution of a patently illegal order is not." According to the National Lawyers Guild Military Law Task Force, members of the military "have the right, and in some cases have the duty, to refuse illegal orders." Their oath, crucially, is to the Constitution, not to any individual, including the Commander-in-Chief.
Yet, for some in the Trump administration and among his allies, the Democrats’ video crossed a dangerous line. Trump’s homeland security adviser, Stephen Miller, accused the lawmakers of "openly calling for insurrection." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed this sentiment, saying on November 20, "They’re suggesting that the president has given illegal orders, which he has not. Every single order that is given to this United States military by this Commander-in-Chief, and through this chain of command, through the Secretary of War, is lawful." She added, "We do things by the books. And to suggest and encourage that active-duty service members defy the chain of command is a very dangerous thing for sitting members of Congress to do."
Democrats, for their part, were quick to push back. Elissa Slotkin responded directly to Miller’s accusation, stating, "This is the law. Passed down from our Founding Fathers, to ensure our military upholds its oath to the Constitution—not a king." Jason Crow, in a Fox News interview on November 19, clarified that their video was simply "a simple reminder ... about their legal obligations." He pointed out that service members are "often put in very difficult positions," and argued that Trump’s leadership had "put them in very difficult positions and has alluded to putting them in even more difficult positions in the months and years ahead."
The House Democratic leadership, led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, took the threats seriously. In a statement, they said they had been in contact with the House sergeant-at-arms and U.S. Capitol Police "to ensure the safety of these Members and their families." They condemned the "disgusting and dangerous death threats," urging Republicans to join them in denouncing Trump’s rhetoric and calling on the president to "immediately delete these unhinged social media posts and recant this violent rhetoric before he gets someone killed," as reported by Axios.
The lawmakers’ video did not specify which unlawful orders they feared might be given. However, Crow has previously criticized Trump’s use of the military in policing civilians, as well as recent bombing campaigns against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. According to Al Jazeera, at least 83 people have been killed in these attacks, which some legal experts, including the United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk, have warned may violate both international law and U.S. statutes such as the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.
Trump’s combative posture toward political rivals is nothing new. During his 2016 campaign, chants of “Lock her up!” directed at Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton became a staple at his rallies, and he would often stoke the crowd, insisting, "For what she’s done, they should lock her up. They should. It’s disgraceful." As president, Trump continued to threaten his critics with prosecution or worse. In 2020, he took to social media to demand arrests and "long term sentences" for those involved in investigations he viewed as illegitimate. During the 2024 presidential race, Trump called for the prosecution of then-President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, blaming Harris for crimes committed by immigrants and saying, "She should be impeached and prosecuted for her actions."
Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has sought to make good on some of these threats. In September, he demanded Attorney General Pam Bondi prosecute critics including Senator Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and former FBI director James Comey. Both James and Comey have since faced criminal indictments, and former Trump adviser John Bolton was charged last month. All three have argued that the charges amount to political retribution, and are fighting to have the cases dismissed.
Trump’s rhetoric has also had consequences for members of his own party. Representative Liz Cheney, a Republican who led the House investigation into the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, faced Trump’s ire after backing Democratic candidates over him. Trump responded by musing publicly about her facing a firing squad, though his campaign later claimed he was speaking metaphorically.
In the days leading up to his latest threats, Trump addressed nearly 800 military leaders in Quantico, Virginia, warning that the "big thing" they would be handling going forward was "the enemy from within." He told the assembled generals and admirals, "We have to handle it before it gets out of control." According to Al Jazeera, Trump has long argued that the greatest threat to the United States is "the enemy from within," a phrase he has used to refer to Democratic rivals such as Schiff.
The legal and political battles over the president’s rhetoric and actions show no signs of abating. As the nation heads into another contentious election cycle, the episode has underscored the stakes of the debate over loyalty, law, and the boundaries of dissent in American democracy. For now, both sides are digging in, with the future of civil-military relations and the tone of national discourse hanging in the balance.
