President Donald Trump reportedly spent Sunday night amplifying a wave of social media posts — many from anonymous accounts — accusing six Democratic lawmakers of sedition after they appeared in a video urging U.S. service members to refuse “illegal orders.”
The controversial video, recorded by Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), along with Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), and Jason Crow (D-CO), warned military personnel not to follow unlawful commands. In the video, the lawmakers accuse the Trump administration of “pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,” adding: “You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders.”
The message drew immediate backlash, with Trump saying the Democrats’ coordinated call could be viewed as “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” — referencing how such acts were historically treated. Trump later clarified he was not calling for the death penalty himself, noting, “In the old days, if you said a thing like that, that was punishable by death.”
Still, Trump made clear he believes the lawmakers crossed a legal line.
On Sunday night, Trump shared an AI-generated video depicting the six Democrats jailed. He also boosted posts arguing that the Democrats’ actions meet the “literal definition of sedition,” as well as others pointing to 18 USC § 2387, a federal statute making it a crime to “interfere with, impair, or influence the loyalty, morale, or discipline” of U.S. military forces. Penalties can reach up to ten years in prison.
Trump also reposted commentary calling for bypassing what users called a “corrupted” justice system and instead pursuing military tribunals.
Another post shared by Trump suggested Slotkin — a former CIA and Defense Department official — was using her training to “invoke a rebellion.” Slotkin defended the Democrats’ video, insisting they were reiterating long-standing legal principles: that troops may refuse orders that violate the Constitution.
Appearing on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, Slotkin was pressed by host Martha Raddatz on whether President Trump has ever issued an illegal order. Slotkin admitted she was “not aware” of any unlawful orders from Trump — despite helping produce a video implying otherwise.
The contradiction has fueled Republican criticism, with many arguing the Democrats’ video was designed to undermine the commander in chief and erode military discipline by introducing hypothetical scenarios rather than addressing reality.
Trump’s posts show he views the video not as harmless rhetoric but as a deliberate attempt to interfere with military loyalty — something federal law explicitly prohibits. The uproar underscores the increasingly aggressive tactics Democrats are using against the Trump administration — and the seriousness with which Trump and his supporters view efforts to influence the military using political propaganda.
