For months, the Trump administration has been randomly killing people in boats in international waters. The Trump White House claims that all of the people they’ve killed are drug smugglers and that these are all boats carrying drugs. There’s little to no evidence of that being true. In recent weeks, there’s been significant reporting that military personnel have begun to seek outside legal counsel about whether or not to follow an order they know to be illegal. There are also military lawyers openly expressing concerns about the indefensible boat strikes. Well, some Democrats in Congress made a video in which they spoke directly to the military community, saying, in essence, don’t go to war with civilians, follow the law, follow the Constitution. As you can imagine, this has not gone over well with Donald Trump, who called for Democrats to be hanged for telling the US military to adhere to laws.
President Donald Trump on Thursday accused several Democratic lawmakers of “seditious behavior,” calling for them to “be arrested and put on trial” for behavior that, he said, could be “punishable by death.”
The lawmakers, many of whom are veterans, had posted a video Tuesday telling military and intelligence officers to “refuse illegal orders.”
“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,” the president wrote in one Truth Social post Thursday morning, linking to an article about the video from the Washington Examiner.
“This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” Trump wrote in another post.
In a third, he wrote: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
Trump also reposted multiple posts from other Truth Social users about the video, including one that said, “Hang them George Washington would.”
The lawmakers in the video, which Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin posted Tuesday, are all military veterans and former intelligence officials who spoke directly to members of the military and intelligence community.
“We know you are under enormous stress and pressure right now. Americans trust their military but that trust is at risk,” said the 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 administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens. Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats coming to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad but from right here at home. Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders,” they added. “No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.”
Dude who incited an armed insurrection against the United States Congress is now saying it’s “sedition” for veterans/lawmakers to tell the military to follow the law. This moment, this conversation, this controversy is the whole ball game. When push comes to shove, when all of the chips are on the table, will the US military turn on American civilians if and when Donald Trump orders it? Will the military continue to carry out unlawful orders at Trump’s behest, like those boat strikes? I don’t know what will happen, but the panicked calls for Democrats to be hanged do not bode well.
We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship. pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 18, 2025
Earlier this morning, President Trump threatened me and a group of service and veteran Members of Congress with arrest, trial, and death by hanging.
Here’s my response: pic.twitter.com/jIZYrQTlP7
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 20, 2025
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- President Donald Trump participates in a bilateral meeting with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, November 18, 2025, in the Oval Office.,Image: 1053547216, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Daniel Torok/Avalon
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- President Donald Trump poses for photos with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, November 18, 2025, in the Oval Office.,Image: 1053547926, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Daniel Torok/Avalon
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- United States President Donald J Trump waves as he walks toward the residence after stepping off Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 09 November 2025. President Trump is returning from the weekend in Florida with a stop at the Commanders NFL game on the way home. Featuring: Donald J Trump Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 09 Nov 2025 Credit: Shawn Thew/POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- United States President Donald J Trump welcomes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud to the White House in Washington, on Nov. 18, 2025. Featuring: Donald J Trump, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 18 Nov 2025 Credit: Anna Rose Layden/POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- United States President Donald J Trump shakes hands with with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as they meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, on Tuesday, November. 18, 2025. Featuring: Donald J Trump, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 18 Nov 2025 Credit: Nathan Howard/POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- United States President Donald J Trump meets with with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as they meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, on Tuesday, November. 18, 2025. Featuring: Donald J Trump, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 18 Nov 2025 Credit: Nathan Howard/POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
As tweeted by Mark Kelly:
‘I’ve had a missile blow up next to my airplane, been shot at dozens of times by anti-aircraft fire, and launched into orbit — all for my country. I never thought I’d see a President call for my execution.
Trump doesn’t understand the Constitution, and we’re all less safe for it’
And as others have pointed out Trump is a draft dodger.
This and the quiet piggy, just when you think he cannot sink lower the BRF’s BFF proves you wrong
I kind of wish the focus wasn’t on Donald Trump, not because he isn’t horrible, but because **the entire GOP is the problem.**
If the GOP cared about liberty, democracy, truth and all the other basic freedoms that they claim to uphold, Donald Trump would never have gotten into the office. The fascism is now a fundamental tenet of the Republican Party.
The entire GOP right now is busy attacking the Ken Burns documentary The American Revolution because it dared to mention women, Native Americans, free Blacks, and slaves and because it directly quoted Benjamin Franklin’s views of the Algonquin Cconfederacy in the 1750s.
Europeans regularly refer to the Republican Party as the American Fascist Party now, especially in Britain, France, and Germany.
THIS.
🎯
That’s a great response from Mark Kelly–really draws a contrast between someone who actually served our country on the front line and Ol’ Bonespurs, throwing another temper tantrum from his gilded tower.
My rep, Maggie Goodlander, was in that video and she stands by what was said. I am proud of her and made sure to call her office with my support.
Senator Mark Kelly and his wife, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, understand all too well the toll that violence can take on real people’s lives. In 2011, Giffords was shot in the head during a public event while she was meeting with her constituents in Arizona. She had to endure tremendously painful medical procedures, rehabilitation to learn to talk again (among other things) but she lived. Believe it or not, she was one of the “lucky” ones, because during that same event, a little 9-year-old girl attending this meet-your-representative event was also shot and died. That’s what she got for being a conscientious citizen at such a young age. So, for Trump to trivialize violence against anyone like this is truly remarkable. There are no words.
Mark Kelly is what a true hero and patriot looks like.
If anyone’s guilty of outright treason, it’s Trump. He should be careful what he asks for.
I was going to say that this sounds like more projection from the GOP…
@Alicky This! Exactly this! 100%!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hate that my reaction to this was just, “yep, sounds like another Thursday in dystopian hellscape America”.
At this point, it’s so bad, a military coup doesn’t sound so crazy. This is not sustainable. He has to be removed.
It’s interesting that his response to those six senators was to *in essence* ask the military to carry out illegal orders. Like, he’s saying they should be hanged so who’s gonna do the hanging? It’s not gonna be Pam Bondi and his DOJ–it would be members of the military.
What they said is protected free speech and not fucking “sedition” or whatever he’s claiming so yeah, it would be a highly “illegal order” to execute members of the senate because they said something you don’t like.
…..I can’t believe I actually had to type that. Phew, what a time to be alive.
@Kitten, I think, as he has always meant, he actually means for MAGA vigilantes to perform the violence he calls for in his posts.
Not the military, but random MAGA vigilantes showing up. at their offices or homes or engagements, and shooting them (as they did Pelosi and her husband, as they did on Jan. 6, as they did with state lawmakers in Minnesota, etc.)
Trump is well aware that when he makes these violent claims on social media, his followers listen to him. And do what he asks.
They *all* have to be removed.
Felon47’s entire maladministration, including Kegbreath, Brainworm, Dr. “false advertising” Oz, the couchf*cker, Kristi “dogkiller” Noem and all the other incompetent and corrupt misogynoir racists, cross-wearing Leave It included.
I know it’s a moot point but maybe still worth pointing out that this is an impeachable offense.
It’s so disingenuous for Faux news and all the propaganda outlets to frame it as “disobeying the military” instead of what they CLEARLY said which was that the military does not have to follow ILLEGAL orders. Really changes the context when you remove the word “illegal”.
It’s also a transparently weak attempt to toss some red meat to their base in order to change the conversation from the Epstein Files.
It’s a well established principle at least since the Nuremberg trials that “I was just following orders” is not a defense when a member of the military is prosecuted for illegal acts. Blowing up boats in the Caribbean is murder and anyone participating is vulnerable to prosecution for war crimes. It is terrifying that Trump serms to think he gets to decide on a whim what is legal and illegal.
That’s why the ICE monsters wear masks. Both they and Stephen Miller know that kidnapping people off the street and not allowing any due process is illegal. If they can’t be identified, they can’t be brought to justice when the time comes (and I pray the time comes). Miller will probably try to hide away in one of the billionaires’ bunkers.
Exactly. Slotkin said that she had members of the military come up to her, voicing their fears that they’re participating in illegal acts and how that could affect their future.
And I’ve heard many Congressional Dems say that there WILL be repercussions from the indiscriminate bombing of civilians in the Caribbean. Obviously, people like Hegseth should face the harshest consequences because the military members that are carrying out orders are doing so at his command. But it’s easy to envision a scenario where folks lower on the chain get swept up and into potential investigations. They’re very right to be concerned.
Meanwhile, reportedly, Miller, Hegseth, Noem, Rubio, and other members of Trump’s administration, now live on military bases “for security reasons”, plus Vance at the Naval Observatory. It is highly unusual for civilians to do this, displacing the military brass when they commandeered housing that would have normally would have housed military officers. Think about it. People who are countenancing and even ordering illegal military acts are also being protected by the military by virtue of their current housing. That will sure make things interesting for our enemies— both foreign and domestic— if there’s ever another January 6th type of event or worse. It’s hard not to be alarmed when we realize that the forts and other military installations that ring the DC area to provide protection could also be used for aggression focused inwardly. We’re surrounded by military forces, riddled with conflict and twisted loyalties— paid for by our tax dollars.
“Think about it. People who are countenancing and even ordering illegal military acts are also being protected by the military by virtue of their current housing.”
God DAMN that is such a good point. Absolutely chilling to think about.
Trump is freaking out like this because he knows there is opposition amongst the military to these extrajudicial killings and that a lot of officers have contacted lawyers asking how to handle this situation. These lawmakers are only responding to what the military officers’ concerns.
Exactly.
Yup.
Trump may have a degree of prosecutorial immunity thanks to the corrupt Supreme Court, but the people under him do not. Members of the military do not. I hope they all remember that. There will come a day when this regime ends, and people who enabled Trump and carried out illegal orders will be held accountable for their crimes.
Charges should be brought against Trump too. F**k the Supremes. Anyone who wants to argue on Trump’s behalf that he has immunity to commit murder is free to do so.
I’m also curious about what the SC ruling actually means. That is, if it’s clear that Trump, with Project 2025, was PLANNING illegal and unconstitutional acts before he was elected President, would immunity still apply? How about if it was clear that, as a traitor, he broke — and planned to break — the oath he sort of swore to keep at his inauguration? I also wonder if his advisors will, in any way, be legally liable if/when at some point Trump is booted from office for illness and incompetence. Yup, these are the things that I think about going into a weekend during this holiday season. Sigh.
I think, when the reckoning finally comes, we will need to do real investigations into the Supreme Court as well (tracking the bribe money especially), and hold the corrupt justices accountable. I have no doubt that a real investigation will turn up enough evidence to determine that the “president can do whatever he wants” ruling was the result of corruption rather than sound legal interpretation of the Constitution, and that ruling should then be voided, and they should ALL face punishment.
Every accusation by the orange clown is a confession. Period.
*sobwhisper* It hasn’t even been a year, you guys
There is a crime in the military called: Conduct unbecoming of an officer! You can get jail time + be demoted or fired! We should have a charge in the USA: Conduct unbecoming to a president or government worker! We could get rid of Trump,Vance,Miller + GOP all in one sweep! Win / win for Americans /America!! The Conservates of the supreme court would be to scared of Trumps cronies to do the right thing!! He should of been ousted his first term! So now we have to deal w/ his advanced dementia,ranting and ravings of a madman on a daily basis! What he does is illegal ! He needs to be shown he is not above the law! The GOP needs to grow a pair!! ASAP!!
He will do what he always does – try to get people around him to carry it out so that he can say, “They did it, I didn’t mean it that way…” How far will those around him allow themselves to be manipulated by this appalling individual? They will go down with him, and he will say that he is the victim of those he manipulated.
Malignant narcissism and an all-consuming greed for money and Status.
Yep, he loves to used the old classic manipulations of his loyalists:
“Will no one rid me of these turbulent… fishermen?”
It’s almost Biblical, really. Like Pharoah’s arrogance, bringing down the plagues. Oh, wait, that’s already happening. First Covid, then measels, violent weather, deportation of the children… what’s next? Locusts??
In one of those unspeakable interviews, Bannon said that yes, the man was flawed, but he was a tool sent by God to help them achieve what they wanted. I’m not sure what all these gambling-addicted atheists mean by that. A theocracy? Teardown? I believe that evangelicals are also just a means to an end for the people who developed Project 25.
Trump is a POS.
I cannot wait for the Turd Reich’s fall
Someone please explain the American Constitution to me! Why does a convicted felon get to become president, and threaten Democrats with hanging?!
None of this is according to our Constitution! trump openly defies the Constitution! He had his fingers crossed behind his back when he took the oath of office in which he promised to uphold the Constitution. He later said in an interview that his actually following his oath was actually up to the lawyers to decide. NO IT IS NOT!
How we got here: The Republicans have spent a very long time putting their people in judgeships, particularly during Trump’s first term, with a special focus on the Supreme Court — our highest court. Many of the current Republicans in Congress are either MAGA, generally power-hungry, or scared of /beholden to Trump. What this means is that instead of having genuine checks and balances and some of our best and brightest people in positions of responsibility, we have our current mess. So we have the Courts that we do and the legislators that we do because a couple of generations of Republican politicians valued power over — well, over decency and building a cooperative, genuinely representative, responsive government.
(There are venal politicians who are not Republicans, but we are where we are because of decades of very focused Republican efforts — that, in my opinion, became more focused after the gains of the civil rights movements of the 1960s and 70s that gave access to political representation and power and social benefits to a much wider swath of our population.)
tldr: As @BeanieBean has said, NONE of this is Constitutional. Unfortunately, the Constitution didn’t anticipate such widespread depravity.
Another real question is: Why are so many voters either attracted to this or oblivious?
The only good thing about these online statements is that they can be used as evidence for the impeachment and/or criminal prosecution trials Dump is going to face. He can never again say he didn’t incite violence, political or otherwise.
For the love of all that is holy, can we impeach him now??? Can we????!?!?!?!
And Humpty-Trumpty thinks Jimmy Kimmel making fun of him is illegal. What a pathetic little bitch he is.