President Donald Trump is once again in the eye of a political storm, this time over comments about Democratic lawmakers who dared to challenge military orders.
On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, six Democratic lawmakers, all with prior military or intelligence service, released a video urging service members and intelligence personnel to reject what they called illegal directives, the Daily Caller reported.
Trump fired back with accusations of sedition and legal violations, though he later clarified he wasn’t advocating for the ultimate penalty.
The controversy kicked off when Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin shared the video on X, claiming the Trump administration was trying to turn the military and intelligence community against the very citizens they serve.
By Thursday, November 20, 2025, Trump had upped the ante, labeling the lawmakers’ actions as seditious and suggesting such behavior could, in harsher times, carry severe consequences.
He didn’t mince words, but let’s be fair—while the rhetoric was fiery, it’s worth noting the context of his constitutional role as commander-in-chief under Article II, Section 2, and head of executive agencies like the FBI and CIA under Article II, Section 1.
Still, one wonders if this clash is less about law and more about loyalty in a deeply divided political landscape.
On Friday, November 21, 2025, Trump appeared on “The Brian Kilmeade Show” to set the record straight, denying any intent to threaten lethal repercussions.
“I’m not threatening them, but I think they’re in serious trouble,” Trump told host Brian Kilmeade, emphasizing, “I’m not threatening death, but I think they’re in serious trouble.”
Well, that’s a relief, though one can’t help but smirk at the reminder of “old days” punishments—Trump’s way of saying actions have consequences, even if today’s world is, as he put it, a bit “meeker.”
Trump doubled down on his belief that the lawmakers’ video was a grave misstep, stating, “That was a traitorous statement. That was a horrible thing to do.”
While he admitted uncertainty about specific legal outcomes, he hinted that the military might already be looking into the matter—a tidbit that raises eyebrows about where this saga heads next.
Critics might argue this is just political theater, but conservatives will likely see it as a necessary pushback against what they view as dangerous overreach by progressive lawmakers.
