A political firestorm has erupted in Washington after President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on six Democratic lawmakers who appeared in a video advising US military personnel to refuse unlawful commands, a principle embedded in US military law. The confrontation has drawn in legal experts, veteran groups, and civil-military scholars, who warn of mounting risks to democratic norms.

The lawmakers, Mark Kelly of Arizona, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Jason Crow of Colorado, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, released the video on Friday. All six have military or intelligence backgrounds, and in their message, urged service members to "refuse illegal orders" and reminded them that US law protects personnel who decline to carry out unlawful directives.

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"You can refuse illegal orders.... No one has to carry out orders that violate the law... or our Constitution." pic.twitter.com/JVhNhBEjDs

— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) November 19, 2025

Although the video does not pinpoint any specific orders, it arrived against the backdrop of recent controversial moves by Trump, including the deployment of the National Guard into US cities despite local opposition, and a series of extrajudicial strikes on alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, actions that have resulted in more than 80 deaths and which legal analysts stress lack proper authorization.

Authoritarian-Style Threats

Trump responded furiously, accusing the lawmakers of treason. On Friday he said they were engaged in "seditious behaviour, punishable by death." The following night, he escalated further on social media: "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 continued by declaring their message to be "SEDITION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL" and claimed "THERE CAN BE NO OTHER INTERPRETATION OF WHAT THEY SAID".

Democratic leaders condemned the remarks, calling them "absolutely vile" and warning that a president invoking imprisonment, or death, for political opponents crosses into authoritarian territory.

Legal boundaries

Military law specialists stress that the lawmakers’ message reflects long-standing principles under the Uniform Code of Military Justice: service members must obey lawful commands, but cannot carry out unlawful ones.

As Michael McAuliffe, a former federal prosecutor, explained to NewsWeek, "The fact that the president publicly accuses elected members of a separate branch of government of sedition for making a correct statement of law simply makes the video more justified, not less. … And to be clear, the members’ statements contained in the video are wholly legal, even if motivated in part by politics, in addition to need."

Other experts note that the situation conveys the practical difficulty for troops confronted with ambiguous or politically charged directives. Rachel VanLandingham, a retired Air Force JAG officer, told Fox News Digital: "You can’t expect a sailor to overrule Washington lawyers."

Veterans’ organizations and retired officers have also expressed concern. Several have criticized Trump for politicizing the military, a space traditionally protected from partisan conflict. Analysts argue that the president’s escalating language risks undermining service members’ confidence that they will not be forced into choosing between competing political loyalties.

As of now, there is no public indication that the Pentagon or military courts have launched any formal inquiry into the lawmakers’ statements, despite Trump suggesting such consequences. It also remains unclear which specific orders the Democrats believe might have been unlawful, or whether they will clarify their concerns.

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