LOS ANGELES (oc)/–President Donald Trump reacted harshly to defiance by six senators and House members for openly defying his orders, telling other members of Congress and the military to following the Constitution and their own conscience. Trump called the Congressional defiance “seditious behavior,” eventually saying such open defiance should be punishable by hanging. Democrats called Trump ‘s remarks “absolutely vile,” urging more defiance from members of Congress and the military. “This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” Trump said on Truth Social. “Hang them,” posted by a Truth Social user, something George Washington would have done during the Revolutionary War. “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Calling for such extreme measures for members of Congress who express the typical “No Kings Day” rhetoric against Trump, accusing him of dictatorship, can’t be good for the country. Trump’s incendiary remarks are bound to make more controversial headlines, giving Democrats and fake news more to rant about. All Democrat lawmakers have backgrounds in the military, making the situation all more complicated. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Az.), a former member of the Navy and NASA, Sen. Elise Slotkin, a former CIA operative in Iraq. “You can refuse illegal orders,” Kelly said in his X video, “Pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,” Kelly said. Kelly wasn’t clear what orders he would refuse to follow. Kelly was encouraging his rebellious Democrat friends to defy Trump’s illegal orders.
Kelly didn’t say what orders Trump has given that he would defy or which ones he regarded as illegal. Kelly didn’t want to put himself out on a limb, whether the policy he referred to was Trump’s deployment of National Guard or active duty military into American cities or to Trump’s war on drugs, ordering the Pentagon to attack ships on the open seas suspected of narco-terrorism. White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt asked, “Why aren’t you talking about what these members of Congress are doing to encourage and incite violence,” making a good point about Democrats open defiance of Trump’s policies. Democrats have lashed out in the last few months, shutting down the federal government over Trump’s health care policy, then blaming Republicans for starting the rebellion. Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Trump was throwing gasoline on a fire.
Since Trump won the 2024 election, Democrats have been openly defiant of his leadership, asking the Party to stage street demonstrations all over the country, rejecting Trump’s rule, accusing Trump of flouting the Constitution and rule of law. Democrats have been sore losers since former Vice President Kamala Harris lost the 2024 election. Kamala has been making strategic moves in the media, hinting that she could run again in 2028. But the real issue involves Democrats open defiance of Trump’s presidency, defying his policies on everything from the border to his management of the economy. There’s literally nothing Trump does that’s backed by Democrats, including trying to end the Ukraine War. Democrats would like to see the war with Moscow continue indefinitely. While Trump hasn’t ended the war yet, he’s trying to bring it to an end.
Democrats in the House and Senate want nothing more than to see Trump unhinged in response to their defiance of his Article 2 leadership as commander-in-chief. Posting a video on X, the former Pentagon and intel officials vowed to stand their ground from Trump’s intimidation. “Veterans and national security professionals who love this country” had sworn an oath to the Constitution and Uniform Code of the military. “That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. No threat, intimidation or call for violence among his supporters,” said the group of military and intel professionals now a member of Congress. Elected officials, under their new assignments under Article One, recognize the president as commander-in-chief under his Article 2 authority. So when Kelly and others express such defiance they’re, in fact, insubordinate to Trump’s authority.
Trump should try to deescalate the ramblings of defiant Democrats that don’t respect his authority as commander-in-chief. Instead of calling members of Congress treasonous, Trump should stick to his agenda of strengthening the U.S. economy and foreign policy. Former military and intel members of Congress have a responsibility under Article 1 to follow the Constitution’s separation of powers giving Trump appropriate authority as commander-in-state. “he’s lighting a match in a country soaked with political gasoline,” said Schumer in a speech on the Senate floor. But if Schumer thinks about, Democrats have defied and rejected Trump’s leadership from Day One, causing the current tensions. All the Democrat protests on “No Kings Day” rallies, rejects Trump’s leadership after winning his second term in 2024. So when it comes to incitement, Democrats need to look at themselves.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
