President Donald Trump on Friday attempted to de-escalate a political firestorm he ignited by insisting he was “not threatening death” against Democratic lawmakers, despite having explicitly stated that their recent video to U.S. service members amounted to “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
The President’s clarification, made during a radio interview, came only hours after House Democratic leadership demanded he delete the social media posts and condemned his remarks as a “disgusting and dangerous death threat” that risked inciting violence.
The Video That Triggered the Threat
The controversy erupted earlier this week following the release of a 90-second video featuring six Democratic lawmakers, all of whom are U.S. military veterans or former intelligence officials.
In the video, the lawmakers—including Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)—directly addressed active-duty personnel, telling them: “Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders, you must refuse illegal orders.” They warned that threats to the Constitution were coming “from right here at home.”
The video, which appeared to allude to the President’s recent use of the military in domestic disputes, drew a furious response from the White House. On Thursday morning, President Trump published a series of posts on his social media platform, escalating the rhetoric:
- “Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL.”
- “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!“
The Weekend Walkback
Appearing on Fox News Radio on Friday, the President was pressed on the meaning of his inflammatory rhetoric.
“In the old days, if you said a thing like that, that was punishable by death,” Mr. Trump stated, referencing the historical penalty for sedition. “I would say they’re in serious trouble. I’m not threatening death, but I think they’re in serious trouble.“
The White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also scrambled to contain the political damage on Thursday, telling reporters, “No,” when asked directly if the President wished to execute members of Congress. She defended the President’s anger by calling the Democrats’ video “dangerous,” arguing that it undermined the military’s chain of command, which could “lead to people getting killed.”
Democrats Stand Their Ground
Democratic leaders and the lawmakers who created the video swiftly rejected the President’s attempts to characterize his words as a mere historical reference.
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the original post an “outright threat” and stated, “The President of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials.”
- The group of veteran lawmakers released a joint statement declaring that what was “most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law.” They stated they would not be deterred by “threat, intimidation, or call for violence.”
One of the video’s participants, Representative Jason Crow (D-Colo.), a former Army Ranger, confirmed he has received an “uptick” in violent threats since the President’s posts were published, forcing Capitol Police to increase security monitoring for the lawmakers involved.
While the President insists he was merely defining a historic crime, the episode serves as a fresh reminder of the deeply polarizing power of his political rhetoric and the immediate physical security risks faced by those who publicly oppose him.