Trump Accuses Houlahan, Deluzio, Other Democratic Vets of Sedition ‘Punishable by Death’

In a mid-morning rant, President Donald Trump accused six Democratic members of Congress of sedition, including Pennsylvania Reps. Chrissy Houlahan and Chris Deluzio, after they urged members of the military and intelligence community to “refuse illegal orders” in a video.

      

An hour after the above post, Trump followed with 16 other posts, including the two below.

     

Houlahan, who represents the 6th Congressional District, and Deluzio, who represents the 17th, both served in the Navy. They took part in a video released on Facebook on Tuesday along with Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.) that urged members of the military and intelligence community to “refuse illegal orders.”

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Slotkin, a former CIA analyst who served three tours in Iraq, said that “no one has to carry out orders that violate the law,” and Houlahan, an Air Force veteran, finished her sentence, saying “or our constitution.”

The credentials of the six are noteworthy. Crow is a former Army Ranger and Bronze Star recipient, while Goodlander served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve for over a decade. Deluzio is an Iraq war veteran whose military service included three deployments, while Kelly was a Navy pilot flying 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm before becoming a NASA astronaut.

The six Democratic leaders, who took turns finishing each other’s sentences during the 90-second video, said that “your vigilance is critical and know that we have your back. Because now more than ever, the American people need you. We need you to stand up for our laws. Our constitution. We need you to stand up for our laws. Our constitution and who we are as Americans. Don’t give up the ship.”

In response to the President’s posts, the lawmakers issued a joint statement:

“We are veterans and national security professionals who love this country and swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation.”

“What’s most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law. Our servicemembers should know that we have their backs as they fulfill their oath to the Constitution and obligation to follow only lawful orders. It is not only the right thing to do, but also our duty.”

“But this isn’t about any one of us. This isn’t about politics. This is about who we are as Americans. Every American must unite and condemn the President’s calls for our murder and political violence. This is a time for moral clarity.”

“In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage. We will continue to lead and will not be intimidated.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, never one to shy away from Trump, denounced the president’s words, saying “Not only has the President failed in his responsibility to lead this country — he is actively encouraging political violence once again, ratcheting up the real risk of danger to our elected leaders and deepening the divides in our country.”

     

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman was also critical of Trump, saying members of Congress should never be threatened with harm.

      

As of publication, Pennsylvania’s junior Sen. Dave McCormick has not made a public statement.

This is not the first time that Democrats who have served in the armed forces have come under fire from a Republican.

Back in October, Rep. Scott Perry (R-10) called out Democrats in Congress that have previously served in the United States military, saying they “hate the military” and entering military service is “only a credential that they get when they want to run for office,” during an interview on The Chris Stigall Show.

In response to the posts, other Pennsylvania Democratic representatives have also spoken out.

Rep. Summer Lee (D-12) said “political violence is on the rise and the president is calling for the death of Members of Congress. This is the same person who has already incited a violent insurrection on the Capitol because of his rhetoric and lies. We cannot accept or normalize this.”

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-05) said “The President is calling for the execution of his political opponents who have served our country honorably in Congress and our armed forces. His words have consequences. Political violence is always unacceptable. Surely our Republican colleagues can agree to condemn the President’s calls for violence.”

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) defended Trump, saying it was the Democrats who were acting “wildly inappropriate” by suggesting that military members should disobey unlawful orders from Trump. According to Johnson, Trump was simply “defining the crime of sedition.”

“That is a factual statement,” Johnson said, adding attorneys would have to “parse” the language in the criminal act.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) denounced Trump’s comments, saying the president “is lighting a match in a country soaked with political gasoline.”

“Every senator, every representative, every American regardless of party should condemn this immediately and without qualification,” he said. “Because if we don’t draw a line here, there is no line left to draw.”