Donald Trump’s furious posts suggesting the death penalty for six Democrats who reminded U.S. troops they should refuse illegal orders ignited a firestorm on Capitol Hill and prompted Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to question his mental fitness.
Trump’s flare-up followed a video recorded by the six Democratic military and intelligence veterans, led by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, calling on troops to uphold the Constitution.
In a minute-long video, Sens. Slotkin and Mark Kelly joined Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, and Jason Crow advise members of the military and the intelligence community to “refuse illegal orders.”
Commander-in-Chief Trump, 79, blasted the message on Truth Social as “seditious behavior” and amplified posts arguing it was “punishable by DEATH.”
Several of the six have received threats, including reported bomb threats to Rep. Deluzio’s offices and Sen. Slotkin’s home. The Washington Post said the threats have been reported to police, but he has refused to dial down what the Dems described as “threatening” rhetoric.
New York Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, 36, said the president’s language was “not just shocking” but “bizarre,” “erratic,” and “volatile.”
“I think it indicates a mental state that we should all be questioning right now,” the Democrat told reporters on Friday.
Sen. Kelly—a retired Navy captain and former NASA astronaut—pushed back directly on Sunday. “The message [Trump] sent a couple days ago was, he declared that loyalty to the Constitution was now punishable by death,” he told CBS News’s Face the Nation.
“He’s trying to intimidate us. But… I’m not going to be intimidated.” He added that he had sworn an oath and merely “reiterated… that members of the military should not, can not, follow illegal orders.”
Republicans also sounded alarms over Trump’s language. “If you take at face value the idea that calling your opponents traitors and then specifically saying that it warrants the death penalty is reckless, inappropriate, irresponsible,” Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, 62, told Face the Nation.
“It’s not something that is helping the country heal wounds. I think it stirs things up, and really, I think we can do better.”
On ABC News’s This Week, Texas Republican Rep. Mike McCaul said, “I would tone down the rhetoric and tone down the theme here. I would emphasize more what I discussed, and that is, these orders are not illegal.”
Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis likewise voiced concern. “Words carry a lot of weight,” Tillis said. “Kids are watching, and the president of the United States should always be thinking less about the adults you’re reacting to… and the kids that are watching, too.”
Trump’s allies have argued his commentary is protected speech. The White House press office has declined to say he wants lawmakers executed, while defending his attacks on the video.
Military law experts cited by several outlets note that troops are obligated to disobey illegal orders—precisely the point made in the video.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
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