Tensions escalated in the United States on Saturday night after President Donald Trump ordered that six Democratic lawmakers be jailed over a video in which they urged military personnel to refuse unlawful commands.
The directive came just a day after Trump accused the group of engaging in “seditious behaviour,” a crime he noted is punishable by death. Democrats quickly condemned the president’s remarks, describing them as “absolutely vile threats” targeting lawmakers who have previously served in the military or intelligence community.
Posting on his Truth Social account late Saturday, Trump wrote:
“THE TRAITORS THAT TOLD THE MILITARY TO DISOBEY MY ORDERS SHOULD BE IN JAIL RIGHT NOW, NOT ROAMING THE FAKE NEWS NETWORKS TRYING TO EXPLAIN THAT WHAT THEY SAID WAS OK.”
He further labelled the lawmakers’ message as “SEDITION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL,” insisting there was “NO OTHER INTERPRETATION OF WHAT THEY SAID.”
The controversial video, released on Friday, featured Arizona Senator Mark Kelly; Michigan’s Elissa Slotkin; Colorado’s Jason Crow; Pennsylvania’s Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan; and New Hampshire’s Maggie Hassan. In it, they called on military personnel to refuse illegal orders, though they did not specify which orders they were referencing.
The message comes amid Trump’s repeated use of the National Guard in various US cities—often against the wishes of local leaders—in response to what he describes as widespread unrest. He has also authorised strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, operations that have resulted in more than 80 deaths and which experts have warned may violate international law.
Trump has previously hinted at the death penalty in relation to actions he deems treasonous.
The situation recalls earlier controversies, including revelations in 2023 that former US Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley secretly contacted his Chinese counterpart after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots to assure Beijing of US stability and prevent potential miscalculations.
The Democrats targeted in Trump’s order have not yet been detained, and the legal and constitutional implications of the president’s latest directive continue to unfold.
