3:47Arizona’s Sen. Mark Kelly addresses attendees at a news event advocating for the unsealing of the Epstein files, on Capitol Hill in Washington, November 18, 2025. Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
A number of Democrats, branded as exhibiting “seditious behavior” by President Donald Trump, championed their communication to military personnel that they possess the right to deny unlawful instruction. The president, along with members of his administration, implied this action could be subject to legal consequence.
The video, showcasing a group of six Democrats with backgrounds in either the military or the intelligence sector, incited upwards of a dozen messages on social media from Trump, who labeled them as “traitors” and asserted their conduct might be “punishable by death.”
“I believe it’s vital to express that nothing embodies the American spirit more than standing up for the Constitution, which is precisely what we were doing. The president was displeased and now demands we be hanged,” stated Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly on CNN’s “The Source with Kaitlan Collins” on Thursday evening.
Sen Mark Kelly speaks at a press conference calling for the release of the Epstein files, on Capitol Hill in Washington, November 18, 2025.Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
Sen. Elissa Slotkin declared on MS NOW that the guidance to military personnel was “word for word” from the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
“I view his reaction as indicative of a political atmosphere that garners little pride at present,” she commented.
The president, during an appearance on “The Brian Kilmeade Show” on Friday, persisted in his vehement criticism of the lawmakers.
“These individuals are detrimental. In my estimation, they have infringed upon the law. The repercussions are uncertain, but they did contravene the law,” Trump asserted.
However, following some bipartisan opposition to his pronouncements regarding the death penalty, Trump toned down his stance somewhat.
“I am not issuing death threats, though I do believe they find themselves in considerable difficulty. Historically, the punishment was death … Such conduct was considered seditious, a significant matter. However, today’s world is markedly different, where nothing is treated with due gravity,” he articulated.
President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia in the Oval Office of the White House, November 18, 2025 in Washington.Win McNamee/Getty Images
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was compelled to clarify to journalists on Thursday that Trump, "no," does not aspire to execute members of Congress.
Still, Leavitt characterized the Democrats’ video as “perilous,” misrepresenting that the Democrats were advocating for military personnel “to disobey the president’s legitimate directives.”
“It is potentially subject to legal consequence. I am not an attorney. I shall delegate that determination to the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense,” Leavitt stated.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a press briefing at the White House in Washington, November 20, 2025.Evan Vucci/AP
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, during a segment on “Hannity” on Fox News on Wednesday, expressed his desire to understand the lawmakers’ reasons for releasing the video.
“What prompted them to appear in a video, encouraging young individuals to defy court rulings without offering any clarification of what constitutes illegality, without any reference to what law or instruction they are supposedly being asked to violate? Such actions are unacceptable in our nation, particularly from leaders,” Blanche remarked.
“Therefore, what is the nature of the inquiry? Accountability is warranted. These members of Congress ought to be compelled to respond to queries, explaining their motivations. The American citizenry is entitled to this, as is President Trump,” he appended.
When questioned about an ongoing investigation, the deputy attorney general replied: “Look, Sean, we do not, as you know, comment on ongoing inquiries.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche attends a news conference at the Justice Department on November 19, 2025 in Washington.Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
In the video, disseminated on Tuesday, none of the Democrats specified any particular unlawful directives issued to service members. It remains unclear whether service members have been instructed to contravene the law.
Both Kelly and Slotkin, when probed about their rationale for sharing the video message, emphasized recent administrative decisions that have instigated legal disputes, encompassing deadly strikes against alleged drug vessels in Latin America and the deployment of National Guard forces in U.S. cities.
“He has broached the topic of deploying troops to additional U.S. cities and discussed the prospect of invoking the Insurrection Act,” Kelly communicated to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
“All of us have been hearing alarm from individuals in uniform, as well as within the intelligence community, expressing concerns such as, ‘We are genuinely troubled,'” Slotkin recounted on MS NOW. “‘I am being stationed in a city or, you know, within the United States, or I am being directed to carry out strikes in the Mediterranean. And I lack understanding… regarding the legality of this situation?'”
Slotkin clarified that she intended to reference strikes in the Caribbean Sea, where the administration indicates dozens have perished in operations as part of its “war” against drug cartels in the region.
Sen Elissa Slotkin speaks during a VoteVets town hall in Overland Park, Kansas, November 12, 2025.Arin Yoon/Reuters
The administration has defended the legitimacy of both the vessel strikes and the utilization of National Guard personnel in American cities, including Washington and Los Angeles.
“They suggest … that the president has issued unlawful directives, a claim without basis. Every directive conveyed to the United States military by this commander in chief and through the chain of command, via the secretary of defense, adheres to the law,” Leavitt affirmed on Thursday.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
