Six Democrat lawmakers, all military veterans, are now under 24/7 Capitol Police protection after President Donald Trump blasted them on social media with calls for their arrest and even execution over a controversial video, as the Daily Maili reports
Here's the quick rundown: these lawmakers released a video urging military personnel to refuse illegal orders, prompting a fiery backlash from Trump, who labeled their actions as seditious and demanded harsh punishment, leading to a flood of threats against them.
The saga kicked off when Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, along with Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, and Chris DeLuzio of Pennsylvania, put out a video message.
In the clip, these veterans from the CIA, Army, Navy, and Air Force pleaded with service members to stand firm against unlawful commands, though they didn’t specify which orders they meant.
Trump, as commander in chief, didn’t take kindly to this, erupting on Truth Social with posts branding their actions as "seditious behavior" and calling for their arrest.
He didn’t stop there, reposting comments from others, including one chilling remark about hanging them, invoking George Washington no less, while labeling the lawmakers as traitors.
The fallout was swift -- hundreds of threats poured in, with Slotkin alone reporting a deluge of hostility, forcing Capitol Police to step in with round-the-clock surveillance for all six.
"Capitol Police came to us and said, 'We're gonna put you on 24/7 security,'" Slotkin told MSNBC, adding, "We've got law enforcement out in front of my house."
She also noted, "If the president is saying you should be hanged, then we shouldn't be surprised when folks on the ground are going to follow suit and say even worse." Well, isn’t that a predictable spiral when rhetoric gets this heated?
Despite the danger, the lawmakers aren’t backing down, issuing a joint statement on Friday reaffirming their stance and insisting that reminding troops of their constitutional duties is not just right, but their obligation.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned Trump’s words as "disgusting and dangerous," assuring that Democratic leadership is working with law enforcement to protect the targeted members and their families.
Meanwhile, Mark Kelly, a former Navy combat pilot and astronaut, highlighted his service record, pointing out the irony of a president threatening execution over a constitutional stand. It's hard to argue that’s not a disconnect from military values.
Adding fuel to this fire, the video’s release comes amid criticism of Trump’s recent military strikes on alleged narco-terrorist boats, with at least 20 lethal operations killing 80 people, often touted by Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth online.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed the Democrats were urging refusal of lawful orders, a charge reporters quickly disputed, while Hegseth mocked the video as evidence of extreme anti-Trump bias.
Ultimately, this clash isn’t just about a video; it’s a deeper rift over military loyalty, constitutional duty, and the boundaries of presidential rhetoric, leaving these lawmakers under guard while standing resolute. It's a stark reminder that words from the top can carry a dangerous weight, but so can those from legislators.
