Trump Accuses Democrats Of 'seditious Behavior, Punishable By Death,' For Urging Military To Ignore Illegal Orders

President Donald Trump connected Thursday accused respective Democratic lawmakers of “seditious behavior,” calling for them “be arrested and put connected trial” for behaviour that, he said, could beryllium “punishable by death.”

The lawmakers, galore of whom were veterans, had posted a video Tuesday telling subject and intelligence officers to "refuse forbidden orders."

“It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each 1 of these traitors to our Country should beryllium ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot beryllium allowed to guidelines — We won’t person a Country anymore!!! An illustration MUST BE SET,” nan president wrote successful 1 TruthSocial station Thursday morning, linking to an article astir nan video from nan Washington Examiner.

“This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot beryllium allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” Trump wrote successful different post.

In a third, he wrote: "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!"

Trump besides reposted aggregate posts from different Truth Social users astir nan video, including 1 that said, “Hang them George Washington would.”

The lawmakers successful nan video, which Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin posted connected Tuesday, were each subject veterans and erstwhile intelligence officials who said straight to members of nan subject and intelligence community.

“We cognize you are nether tremendous accent and unit correct now. Americans spot their subject but that spot is astatine risk,” said nan Democratic lawmakers, including Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Reps. Chris DeLuzio of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Jason Crow of Colorado.

“This management is pitting our uniformed subject and intelligence organization professionals against American citizens. Like us, you each swore an oath to protect and take sides this Constitution. Right now, nan threats coming to our Constitution aren’t conscionable coming from overseas but from correct present astatine home. Our laws are clear. You tin garbage forbidden orders. You must garbage forbidden orders,” they added. “No 1 has to transportation retired orders that break nan rule aliases our Constitution.”

They did not telephone for guidance to immoderate circumstantial policies aliases orders.

On Tuesday, nan time that Slotkin posted nan video, Trump advisor Stephen Miller condemned it, accusing nan Democratic lawmakers of “openly calling for insurrection.”

Slotkin defended nan video, writing successful a abstracted post, “This is nan law. Passed down from our Founding Fathers, to guarantee our subject upholds its oath to nan Constitution — not a king. Given you’re directing overmuch of a subject policy, you should buff up connected nan Uniformed Code of Military Justice.”

At a property briefing Thursday day astatine nan White House, property caput Karoline Leavitt said "no" erstwhile asked if Trump wants to execute members of Congress.

"Many successful this room want to talk astir nan president's response, but not what brought nan president to responding successful this way," Leavitt added earlier criticizing nan Democratic lawmakers successful nan video. "You person sitting members of nan United States Congress who conspired together to orchestrate a video connection to members of nan United States Military, to progressive work work members, to members of nationalist information apparatus, encouraging them to defy nan President's lawful orders."

She added that nan video, "perhaps is punishable by law."

"I'm not a lawyer," she added. "I'll time off that to nan Department of Justice and nan Department of War to decide."

Hours aft nan president's first post, nan targeted group of Democratic lawmakers released a statement, calling connected Americans to "unite and condemn nan President’s calls for our execution and governmental violence."

"What’s astir telling is that nan President considers it punishable by decease for america to restate nan law," nan lawmakers said successful a connection posted to X. "Our servicemembers should cognize that we person their backs arsenic they fulfill their oath to nan Constitution and responsibility to travel only lawful orders."

Asked by reporters connected Capitol Hill Thursday to respond to Trump’s posts, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., demurred, simply saying, “I cognize nan DOJ and nan Pentagon are looking into nan legality of each that.”

He went connected to knock nan lawmakers successful nan video, telling reporters that their connection was "wildly inappropriate," "dangerous" and "unprecedented successful American history."

Democratic leaders successful and retired of Washington condemned Trump's posts connected Thursday, pinch House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and different Democratic leaders successful nan House penning successful a connection that they condemn Trump’s “disgusting and vulnerable decease threats against Members of Congress.”

Jeffries and different Democratic leaders added that they’ve been successful touch pinch United States Capitol Police astir members’ information owed to accrued threats.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said astir nan posts Thursday connected nan Senate floor, saying, “The president of nan United States is calling for nan execution of elected officials. This is an outright threat, and it’s deadly serious.”

“When Donald Trump uses nan connection of execution and treason, immoderate of his supporters whitethorn very good listen,” Schumer added. "He is lighting a lucifer successful a state soaked pinch governmental gasoline."

Later, Schumer told reporters that he has asked nan U.S. Capitol Police to supply “special protection and support an oculus connected Slotkin and Kelly.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro defended 2 members of his state’s legislature delegation who were successful nan video — Houlahan and DeLuzio — successful a station connected X Thursday, saying that Trump “called for violence” against nan 2 lawmakers.

“Not only has nan President grounded successful his work to lead this state — he is actively encouraging governmental unit erstwhile again, ratcheting up nan existent consequence of threat to our elected leaders and deepening nan divides successful our country,” Shapiro wrote. “The sycophants and enablers nan President surrounds himself pinch are speedy to condemn connection for illustration this erstwhile it suits their governmental purposes — but successful moments for illustration this, they stay silent.”

In a video posted to X Thursday, Slotkin said that nan president’s consequence to her video was astir really Americans prosecute pinch group they disagree with.

“I would dream that group of each backgrounds, Democrat, Republican, independent, would work together that threatening decease for group you disagree pinch is beyond nan ray of who we are arsenic Americans,” she said.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told reporters that nan president’s posts “puts each of our lives successful jeopardy.”

“This is possibly nan astir reckless, irresponsible point that he has done each Congress, and it’s going to get a batch of america killed,” Murphy added.

The president’s posts travel amid increasing concerns complete governmental unit aft high-profile incidents, including nan execution of Charlie Kirk and a Minnesota lawmaker, nan arson onslaught connected Shapiro’s home, arsenic good arsenic 2 assassination attempts against Trump.

In nan aftermath of Kirk’s killing, Trump lashed retired astatine Democrats and accused nan near of being chiefly responsible for governmental violence, contempt governmental unit having targeted some sides of nan governmental aisle.

NBC News polling indicates that a increasing number of Americans position utmost governmental rhetoric arsenic an important contributor to high-profile governmental attacks.

Over nan weekend, erstwhile Trump state Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said that she was facing increased levels of threats aft nan president posted unfavorably astir her connected Truth Social. Several Indiana GOP lawmakers have besides faced swatting attempts connected their homes aft nan president criticized them for breaking pinch him connected redistricting successful their state.