US President Donald Trump on Thursday attacked Democratic lawmakers who told members of the US military they must refuse any illegal orders, calling them traitors and saying they should face the death penalty.
Trump retweeted an article about the video released Tuesday by six Democratic lawmakers who served in the military or intelligence community.
“This is really wrong and dangerous for our country. Their words cannot be tolerated. CONSTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! SHUT THEM UP???,” Trump said on Truth Social.
In a later post, he then added: “BAD BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
A group of Democratic senators and representatives — all of whom themselves have military or intelligence backgrounds — said in a video released Tuesday that “this administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence professionals against the American citizen.”
“Right now the threats to our constitution are not just coming from abroad, but right here at home,” they said, adding, “You can refuse illegal orders.”
They did not specify what orders they were appealing, but the Trump administration has come under fire for the deployment of US forces at home and abroad, AFP reported.
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The White House on Wednesday condemned a call by six Democratic lawmakers for U.S. military and intelligence personnel to reject “illegal orders” from the Trump administration.
“Top Democrats are openly calling on CIA and military officials to join the insurgency against their commander-in-chief. Don’t underestimate how dangerously radicalized the Democratic Party has become,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller wrote on X.
Within the United States, Trump has deployed the National Guard to several cities, often over the objections of local authorities, who have responded with legal challenges – in an effort to contain what he describes as widespread unrest, according to AFP.
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Internationally, he has authorized attacks on several alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific, which have left more than 80 dead since early September.
Experts say these strikes are illegal and amount to extrajudicial killings, even when known traffickers are targeted.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump signed legislation ordering the release of government records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, setting the stage for a showdown over whether the US president will allow full disclosure or try to keep the information under wraps.
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Trump surprised Washington over the weekend by reversing his months-long opposition to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, allowing it to pass Congress on Tuesday in a rare show of bipartisan support.
FRAUDULENT BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!
Right now, the threats to our constitution are not just coming from abroad, but right here at home.
Still, Rep. Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, who sponsored the bill, said “there’s no way they could have enough investigations to cover” all the people he believes were involved in Epstein’s abuse, according to the Associated Press.
(With input from agencies)
