Six Democratic lawmakers, all of whom served in the military or intelligence community, uploaded a short online video this week, reminding still-serving U.S. service members that they can and must refuse illegal orders that violate the Constitution. President Trump responded to the video in a series of Truth Social posts on Thursday morning, accusing the Congress members of sedition.
"SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!" Trump wrote. The president went on to share and repost a series of comments from other Truth Social users, including posts that said the Democrats should be hanged, their actions were an insurrection and they should all be indicted because of the video.
On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied the president wanted to execute members of Congress, adding "The sanctity of our military rests on the chain of command, and if that chain of command is broken, it can lead to people getting killed. It can lead to chaos, and that's what these members of Congress who swore an oath to abide by the Constitution are essentially encouraging."
Rep. Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger who participated in the video, told Morning Edition host Leila Fadel that he's been receiving death threats since Trump's social media posts. But Crow said he won't be "intimidated."
Listen to the full conversation by clicking play on the blue box above.
Treye Green edited the digital copy for this story.
Copyright 2025 NPR
