White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday criticized a video by several Democratic lawmakers that urged military and intelligence personnel to refuse illegal orders, but she also rejected the notion that President Trump wants members of Congress executed. Leavitt described the lawmakers’ remarks as seditious and warned that breaking the chain of command can produce chaos and loss of life. When asked whether the president wanted members of Congress put to death, she said no.
The video, produced by Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), with Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), was aimed at military and intelligence audiences. Many of the participants are veterans or have national security experience. The message urged service members and intelligence personnel not to follow orders that would violate the law or the Constitution, arguing that threats to democratic institutions can come from within as well as from abroad. The clip closed by invoking the naval exhortation “don’t give up the ship,” a reference to Capt. James Lawrence.
President Trump reshared the lawmakers’ video on Truth Social and amplified several user responses that called for the Democrats to be hanged, labeling the video an insurrection and calling for indictments. The lawmakers’ video did not single out specific orders it considered illegal; instead it stressed the oath service members take to defend the Constitution.
In a joint statement, the lawmakers said they are veterans and national security professionals who swore to protect the Constitution and will continue to do so. They urged a unified rejection of what they described as the president’s calls for murder and political violence and said threats or intimidation would not deter them. House Democratic leaders — Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar — demanded that Trump remove his posts, urged House Republicans to condemn them, and said they have contacted the House Sergeant at Arms and Capitol Police to secure members and their families. The posts remained online at the time of the statement.