By now, most of us have seen the extraordinary video released by a group of six congressional Democrats calling on service members to refuse to carry out orders they believe are unlawful. The production had all the hallmarks of a psychological operation lifted straight from the CIA’s playbook. Its purpose was clear: to sow doubt within the ranks and to make service members question the legitimacy of orders delivered through the chain of command. In other words, if your aim is to erode confidence in the current administration, this is exactly how you would do it.
The group included Democratic Sens. Elissa Slotkin (MI), who organized the effort, and Mark Kelly (AZ), along with Reps. Chris Deluzio (PA), Maggie Goodlander (NH), Chrissy Houlahan (PA), and Jason Crow (CO).
I covered this story here.
Frankly, I’ve rarely seen anything so overtly subversive in all the years I’ve followed politics. And I don’t think I’m alone.
During a Wednesday interview with Fox News’ Will Cain, Trump adviser Stephen Miller said, “It is insurrection, plainly, directly. Without question. It’s a general call for rebellion from the CIA and the armed services of the United States by Democrat lawmakers saying that you have not only the right but the duty and the obligation to defy orders of the commander-in-chief.”
Obviously very angry, President Trump responded to the video on Thursday morning via Truth Social. In his first post, he wrote:
It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand – We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET. President DJT
He attached a link to an article published by The Washington Examiner titled Dem veterans in Congress urge service members to refuse unlawful orders.
Hyperbole? Perhaps a little. But I certainly agree with his sentiments.
It was his second post, however, that truly sent liberals into a frenzy. It read, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
It was one of those moments when even his staunchest supporters — and I count myself among them — wish we could pop an apple into his mouth.
Up until that point, Trump had occupied the higher ground. Democrats had made a colossally stupid mistake — one whose intention could not reasonably be misconstrued. But with that brief post, he not only let the advantage slip through his fingers, he managed to cast himself as the villain.
Sean Hannity defended Trump’s remark by noting that the phrase “punishable by” implies due process: “There would be a trial. There would be charges. They would be found guilty. I’m not sure it goes that far.”
That may be true, but in politics, emotion always trumps reason. And Democrats, of course, were quick to pounce.
In the end, however, it was the Democrats’ own hyperbole that squandered the moment.
The most outrageous reaction came from Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT). Here are some of the highlights:
The President of the United States just called for Democratic members of Congress to be executed….Every Democratic member of the Senate and the House, their life is in jeopardy right now, especially those that were specifically targeted by this social media post….If you’re a person of influence in this country and you haven’t picked a side, maybe now would be the time to pick a f***ing side.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) took to the Senate floor to deliver his own version of the latest Democratic talking points which began:
Earlier today, Donald Trump shared a post on Truth Social calling for Democratic members of Congress to be hanged.He also posted a message that said “seditious behavior, punishable by death.”Let’s be crystal clear: The president of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials!This is an outright threat, and it’s deadly serious. We’ve already seen what happens when Donald Trump tells his followers that his political opponents are enemies of the state.
Naturally, he reminded his colleagues about Jan. 6. And on it went.
Next, the six Democratic lawmakers who produced the video issued a self-serving joint statement condemning Trump.
…No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation.What’s most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law….But this isn’t about any one of us. This isn’t about politics. This is about who we are as Americans.Every American must unite and condemn the President’s calls for our murder and political violence.This is a time for moral clarity. In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage. We will continue to lead and will not be intimidated.
The statement closed with the same line that closed their video: “Don’t Give Up the Ship!”
One X user spoke for many of us by calling their bluff. He wrote: “You six aren’t ‘defending the Constitution,’ you’re telling troops to ignore the Commander-in-Chief and pretending it’s noble.”
Finally, Slotkin released a statement of her own. The message accompanying her video response read: “Earlier this morning, President Trump threatened me and a group of service and veteran Members of Congress with arrest, trial, and death by hanging. Here’s my response.”
While Trump’s all-caps reminder that seditious behavior is punishable by death was both regrettable and unhelpful, it was the Democrats’ own inflated outrage — the sheer theatrics of it — that torpedoed what could have been a win.
After brazenly releasing a video meant to shake troops’ faith in the authority of their commanders, they painted themselves as “victims.” In doing so, they lost whatever leverage Trump’s unfortunate remark might have given them.
They’re still trying to defend the indefensible, and I suspect most Americans are beginning to see that for themselves.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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