The White House on Thursday stood firmly behind President Donald Trump after he called for six Democratic lawmakers to be executed by hanging — a stunning escalation sparked by a short social-media video in which the legislators urged service members to “refuse illegal orders.”
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t walk anything back. Instead, she doubled down, accusing the senators and representatives of spreading a “radical message” that could “disrupt the chain of command,” while sidestepping Trump’s public demand for their deaths.
Hours earlier, Trump detonated his fury on Truth Social, accusing Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, New Hampshire Rep. Maggie Goodlander, and Pennsylvania Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of “seditious behavior.” All six are military veterans or former intelligence officials. All six appeared in the video.
Trump branded them “traitors to our country,” called for them to be “arrested and put on trial,” and claimed their actions were “punishable by DEATH.” He then reposted a supporter’s message urging him to “HANG THEM.”
Asked point-blank about the president calling for executions of members of Congress, Leavitt scolded reporters for focusing on Trump instead of the lawmakers, accusing the group of “conspiring together” to tell members of the military to “defy the president’s lawful orders.” In reality, the video urged service members to follow the Constitution and refuse unlawful orders — a right and responsibility codified under military law.
“The sanctity of our military rests on the chain of command,” Leavitt said, insisting that the video could get people killed. She then suggested, without evidence, that their message “perhaps is punishable by law,” adding: “I’m not a lawyer.”
Legal experts noted immediately that neither Trump’s accusations nor Leavitt’s claims have any grounding in U.S. law. The government has not criminalized speech labeled “sedition” for over a century, and the criminal statute on “seditious conspiracy” only applies to plots involving force or violence — not to politicians reminding troops they must refuse illegal orders. Even so, Trump insisted online that “seditious behavior” is a capital offense. It is not. The maximum penalty is 20 years.
The lawmakers at the center of the firestorm issued a joint statement responding to the president’s calls for their execution. They noted that everything they said in the video reflects existing law, and argued that Trump’s rage “says more about him than us.”
“Our service members should know that we have their backs as they fulfill their oath to the Constitution,” they wrote. “It is our duty to remind them that they are required to follow only lawful orders.”
Behind the scenes, aides to several of the lawmakers say threats have surged since Trump’s posts, echoing concerns raised repeatedly in recent years about the president’s habit of targeting individual political rivals. For now, the six Democrats say they won’t be intimidated — and won’t stop warning service members about their duties under the law.
But Trump’s latest demand — that American legislators be “hung” — has opened yet another chapter in the country’s widening fight over political speech, presidential power, and the explosive consequences when both intersect.
