11/28/2025
Speaker Johnson Defends Trump, Slams Democrats for Urging Military to Defy Orders
House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back against media outrage on Thursday, defending former President Donald Trump after he accused several Democrats of promoting “seditious behavior” by encouraging U.S. service members to ignore his commands.
The controversy began when a group of Democratic lawmakers released a video urging troops to reject what they claimed could be “illegal orders” from the Trump administration. Critics say the message was clearly aimed at undermining immigration enforcement and national security directives — including Trump’s recent authorization to strike cartel drug boats.
Trump blasted the lawmakers — Sen. Mark Kelly, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, Rep. Jason Crow, and others — calling their actions “seditious behavior punishable by death.”
Reporters quickly turned to Speaker Johnson, who refused to take the bait. Instead, he said the Democrats’ actions were the real concern.
“What I read is he was defining the crime of sedition,” Johnson said.
“It is wildly inappropriate for members of Congress to encourage troops to disobey orders.”
Johnson added that urging individual soldiers to decide for themselves which orders are legal creates a dangerous precedent and undermines military discipline.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also blasted the media for fixating on Trump’s comments rather than the Democrats’ call to defy the Commander-in-Chief.
The political fight underscores a growing clash over military authority, border security, and the limits of dissent inside Congress.
