By Ellie CookShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberPresident Donald Trump has doubled down on his criticism of Democrats who told U.S. military personnel they should refuse to carry out unlawful orders, saying the lawmakers should be imprisoned for "sedition at the highest level."
"THE TRAITORS THAT TOLD THE MILITARY TO DISOBEY MY ORDERS SHOULD BE IN JAIL RIGHT NOW, NOT ROAMING THE FAKE NEWS NETWORKS TRYING TO EXPLAIN THAT WHAT THEY SAID WAS OK," Trump said in a post to his Truth Social platform on Saturday. Trump has often cast major news networks as "fake news" outlets.
Six Democrats on Tuesday released a video urging active service members to disregard any illegal orders handed down from the commander-in-chief. Senators Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly appeared in the video alongside Representatives Maggie Goodlander, Chris Deluzio, Chrissy Houlahan and Jason Crow. All have previously served in military or intelligence positions.
"Our laws are clear, you can refuse illegal orders, you can refuse illegal orders, you must refuse illegal orders," they said in the video. "No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our constitution."
On Thursday, Trump had called the group's actions "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH."
Senator Slotkin told MS NOW, formerley MSNBC, their message was "chapter and verse" from the Uniform Code of Military Justice. "I think his reaction is just characteristic of a political system that no one is proud of right now," she said.
Senator Kelly told CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Friday that Trump's initial response "unchartered waters." "There is nothing more American than standing up for the Constitution," he said, adding "we have a president who doesn't understand the law, he doesn't understand the Constitution. He's the commander-in-chief, he should understand a little bit about this, he clearly does not."
This is a breaking story. More to follow.
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