MaddowBlog-White House targets Democratic veterans who told troops to refuse illegal orders

[LetMyPeopleVote]

In theory, the Democratic video shouldn’t have been especially controversial. In practice, Team Trump’s pushback has been over the top.

Dem veterans reminded servicemembers to refuse illegal orders.

Trump responded by accusing them of “sedition,” labeling them “traitors” and suggesting that they’re subject to arrest — all before raising the possibility *of capital punishment*. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-11-20T16:04:49.330Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-house-targets-democratic-veterans-told-troops-refuse-illegal-ord-rcna244954

Acting on those concerns, six Democratic members of Congress, who served in the military, the intelligence community or both, appeared in a video this week to remind current service members that they are obligated to refuse illegal orders. The New York Times reported:

The stark message, posted on Tuesday, was organized by Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, a former C.I.A. analyst who served multiple tours in Iraq. … ‘Our laws are clear,’ said Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, a Navy veteran and former astronaut. ‘You can refuse illegal orders.’ ‘You must refuse illegal orders,’ added Representative Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, who also served in the Navy.

...In theory, the video shouldn’t have been especially controversial. After all, the Democratic veterans are correct: Service members aren’t supposed to follow illegal orders.

In practice, the partisan pushback has been ferocious.....

On Thursday morning, the president published an item to his social media platform responding to the message from the Democratic veterans, saying, “This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???”

This dovetailed with a similar message, also posted on Thursday morning, which read, “It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand — We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET.”

Soon after, the Republican added, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”

Trump similarly amplified an online message written by someone else, who wrote, “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!.....

In the recent past, many leading GOP voices warned that rhetoric like this was corrosive to society and heightened the risk of political violence. Evidently, the incumbent president, outraged by calls in support of the rule of law, doesn’t care.