11/21/2025
Six Democratic Lawmakers’ Sparks Accusations of Seditious Conspiracy — Trump Amplifies with Death Threat Rhetoric
Opinion
Washington, DC – Six Democratic members of Congress — Senators Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, and Representatives Jason Crow, Chrissy Houlahan, Maggie Goodlander, and Chris Deluzio — released a video urging U.S. military and intelligence personnel to “refuse illegal orders.”
Their coordinated appeal, denouncing what they claim are law-breaking commands from the Trump administration, has been met by President Trump with a predictable, incendiary response:
Trump labeled their behavior “seditious … punishable by DEATH!” and even reposted a meme calling for their hanging. The rhetoric now raises real concerns of stochastic terrorism and even seditious conspiracy, threatening fundamental norms of civilian-military relations.
The Lawmakers’ Message
On Nov. 18, 2025, the six lawmakers, all with military or intelligence backgrounds, published a 90-second video emphasizing their shared oath to defend the Constitution. They warned that “the threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home,” and insisted, “Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders … You must refuse illegal orders.” [1] [2]
Several of these members have long argued that Trump’s actions have violated the law. Representative Jason Crow, for instance, introduced a War Powers resolution on Nov. 18 to block what he characterized as “unauthorized & illegal military strikes” in the Western Hemisphere. [3] Others likewise claim that funding cuts and executive actions under Trump have flouted legal constraints.
The Legal Risk: From Free Speech to Conspiracy
Under U.S. military law, service members are required to obey lawful orders, per UCMJ Article 92, but they are also obliged to refuse “manifestly unlawful” orders — including those that “are contrary to the Constitution or the laws of the United States.”
Legal scholars argue that, by calling generically for disobedience without naming specific orders, the lawmakers’ video straddles a dangerous boundary. When repeated broadly, such messages may constitute stochastic terrorism: individually protected, but cumulatively creating a signal that could encourage disobedience or rebellion.
Taken as a coordinated effort, their plea may even raise issues under 18 U.S.C. § 2384, the federal statute for seditious conspiracy, which prohibits conspiracies “to overthrow, put down, or destroy by force the Government of the United States.” Though the lawmakers have not openly advocated violence, urging troops to choose which orders to follow can fragment the chain of command, damaging the principle of civilian control.
Trump’s Violent Retaliation
President Trump responded forcefully, and some might say, predictably. On his platform, Truth Social, he denounced the six Democrats as “traitors” and called for their arrest and trial. He wrote, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” according to multiple reports. [4], [2]
But he didn’t stop there: he also reposted a supporter’s comment that read, “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”, amplifying calls for political violence. [5], [6]
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the remarks as “an outright threat … calling for the ex*****on of elected officials.” [6]
The White House later claimed Trump did not literally want to see them executed, but critics argue that the amplification of hanging rhetoric — even indirectly — normalizes political violence. [7] Of course, those same critics say nothing of the incendiary words of the Congressmen.
Constitutional Stakes and Conservative Warning
From a constitutional-conservative perspective, the moment demands serious reflection. The six lawmakers’ message could stem from genuine concern for the rule of law, but it strains credibility that this was their actual intent. By broadly urging military personnel to disobey without specifying which orders are supposedly illegal, they are deliberately trying to erode discipline and undermine civilian control of the armed forces — fundamentals that protect our Republic.
On the other hand, Trump’s response is also deeply disturbing. When the commander-in-chief publicly suggests that lawmakers be arrested and even killed, he flirts with incitement and death-threat rhetoric. Even if his words fall short of criminal action, the tone sets a dangerous precedent: political disagreement being met with calls for violent retribution.
Bottom Line
What this episode truly reveals is yet another escalation from the left — the same kind of escalation that helped create the environment that led to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Their coordinated “refuse orders” campaign demonstrates that many on the left genuinely believe they are in an active war with the right, and they now behave accordingly. They instigate, they inflame, and they knowingly unleash rhetoric designed to agitate the most unstable individuals among their base, allowing a deranged actor to carry out the violence they privately hope for while they publicly feign innocence.
The proper course of action, in this author’s view, is for Trump to stop joking about the situation, stop posting memes about it, and instead act: these members of Congress should be taken into custody, charged with seditious conspiracy, and tried under the law.
The left has already decided they’re at war — it’s time the right acknowledge that reality and respond with the seriousness the moment demands.
**This post first appeared on Pipkins Reports .com. Visit our website to read this post in context and view source references.
