Several Democratic lawmakers have turned to the U S Capitol Police after President Donald Trump backed online calls for their execution. The situation escalated quickly once Trump reacted to a video where the lawmakers encouraged military members to reject illegal commands.
Politico reported that Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado Chris DeLuzio of Pennsylvania and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania filed official reports after seeing Trump’s response. The video also featured Rep. Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire along with Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan.
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After the video appeared Trump posted on Truth Social that their comments should be considered “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by death!” He also shared a supporter’s post calling for all six Democrats to be hanged. Trump went on to write “Each one of these traitors to our Country should be Arrested and put on trial. Their words cannot be allowed to stand We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example must be set.”
Houlahan’s team told Politico she treated this the same way she handles every threat made against her and alerted police. Soon after Trump’s post two of her district offices were hit with bomb threats and staffers dealt with what her office described as thousands of furious phone calls and emails.
Speaking with Greg Sargent of The New Republic Houlahan said “If that’s not a threat to violence I don’t know what is. Even if he for whatever reason didn’t mean it or doesn’t act on it, he’s just unleashed a lot of people who are not necessarily well on me and my team and my family, and that’s also a crime.”
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All six Democrats in the video are veterans either from the military or intelligence agencies. Their message drew directly from the Uniform Code of Military Justice which requires service members to follow any lawful order but also makes clear that no one is obligated to obey a patently illegal command especially one that directs them to commit a crime.