Overview
- Sen. Elissa Slotkin posted the one-minute video on X on Nov. 18 titled “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” and it drew more than 1.6 million views.
- The participants were Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly, Rep. Chris Deluzio, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, Rep. Maggie Goodlander and Rep. Jason Crow, all with prior military or intelligence service.
- The message told military and intelligence personnel to stand up for laws and the Constitution and stated they can and must refuse unlawful orders, warning of domestic threats.
- Conservative figures denounced the appeal as a call to defy President Trump, and Pete Hegseth responded with the phrase “Stage 4 TDS.”
- No formal response from military or intelligence institutions was reported, while coverage noted the president’s commander-in-chief role under Article II as context for the legal debate.