Overview
- In a series of posts Thursday, President Trump called the six Democrats “seditious,” urged their arrest, and wrote their behavior was “punishable by DEATH,” while amplifying a user’s call to hang them.
- The targeted members—Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, and Reps. Jason Crow, Chrissy Houlahan, Maggie Goodlander, and Chris Deluzio—defended the clip as a plain restatement of law and said they will not be intimidated.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump does not want executions, asserted the video encouraged defiance of lawful orders, and said the message could be punishable by law.
- Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer condemned Trump’s rhetoric and contacted Capitol security, while Speaker Mike Johnson called the video inappropriate and framed it as potential sedition.
- Reporting notes that troops are obligated under the UCMJ to refuse unlawful orders but can face charges for disobeying lawful commands, underscoring the legal stakes as the video draws millions of views.