President Donald Trump suggested that the Department of War may be investigating the six Democratic Congressional veterans who released a video urging service members to reject unlawful orders.
The members of Congress, who were all high-ranking former members of the military and national security establishment, strongly suggested to servicemembers that they should disregard legitimate instructions from their chain of command and the President of the United States in very vague and wide terms. They also tried to frighten US subordinates into disobeying orders by saying they had to.
In the video, the veterans ā Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) ā told the military and intelligence communities that āno one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.ā
Trump said during an appearance on āThe Brian Kilmeade Showā that the six lawmakers were in āserious trouble. Iām not threatening death, but I think theyāre in serious trouble. In the old days, it was death.ā
āI think [Secretary of Defense] Pete Hegseth is looking into it,ā he said, and later added: āI know theyāre looking into it militarily. I donāt know for a fact, but I think the military is looking into it, the military courts.ā
āTheyāre young privates and young corporals and young sergeants. And theyāre not scholars, necessarily. There might be a few, frankly, but theyāre not scholars. They donāt, you know, study the Constitution, etc, etc. They know that. So, these are bad people. These are people that, in my opinion, broke the law. Now, what happens to them? I canāt tell you, but they broke the law. That is a terrible statement,ā Trump said.
āI can say, if I ever said that, and there were a Democrat as president, all hell would have broken loose. And it has broken loose. I have had more calls from people, even Democrats, saying, What a horrible thing that was,ā Trump added.
Host BrianĀ Kilmeade asked, āSo do you worry that someone on the Gerald R. Ford will say, āHey, I donāt want to do this Venezuelan mission. I donāt want to sit out in the ocean,ā you know, āIām out?ā You know, do you worry about them saying, āI donāt want to go to Chicago and be in the National Guard. Iām out?ā Do you worry about that?ā
āNo, I donāt worry about anything like that, because Iām a leader, and they do as I say. But it certainly is not a good situation. You know, it could happen with certain leaders. It could happen. I donāt think thatād happen with me, but, you know, you never know. Look, that was a very terribleā that was a traitorous statement, that was a horrible thing to do. I believe they broke the law very strongly. I think itās a veryā I think itās a very serious violation of the law,ā Trump said.
āWell, I think Pete Hegseth is looking into it, too. I know theyāre looking into it militarily. I donāt know for a fact, but I think the military is looking into it, the military courts,ā the president added.
Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin (MI), a former CIA agent who was in the video in question, appeared to walk back her comments on Sunday.
When asked point-blank if Trump has given a single illegal order to members of the military, Slotkin gave a word salad response to ABCās Martha Raddatz.
Slotkin said, āSo I think the reason we put that statement out is because the sheer number of frankly, young officers who are coming to us and saying I just Iām not sure what do I do. You know Iām in south calm and Iām involved in the National Guard. Iām just not sure what do I do and I think look you donāt take my word for it. Weāve had report after report of legal officer, jag officers coming forward and saying look. I push back on this. Iām not sure that this is legal. There is such things as illegal orders.ā
She conitnued to deflect, āThatās why itās in the uniform code of military justice going back in nuremberg right and itās just that itās a totally benign statement and if the president is concerned about it than he should stay deeply within the law.ā
