President Donald Trump suggested that the Department of War may be investigating six Democratic Congressional veterans who released a video urging service members to reject unlawful orders. The lawmakers—Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, and Reps. Jason Crow, Maggie Goodlander, Chris Deluzio, and Chrissy Houlahan—told military and intelligence personnel that “no one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.” Their critics argue the message was vague enough to imply that legitimate instructions from the chain of command could be challenged.
During an interview on The Brian Kilmeade Show, Trump said the lawmakers were in “serious trouble,” adding that in earlier eras such actions carried the death penalty. He claimed, without confirmation, that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and military courts might be reviewing the matter. Trump argued that the lawmakers’ message could influence young enlisted personnel who may not fully understand constitutional law, calling their statements “terrible” and “possibly illegal.”
Slotkin later appeared to soften her stance in an interview on ABC, saying the statement was intended to address concerns from young officers unsure about the legality of certain directives. She emphasized that illegal orders do exist but insisted the message was meant as a reminder to remain within the bounds of the law.
