Former President Donald Trump has sparked controversy by suggesting the execution of Democratic lawmakers after they urged military personnel to ignore unlawful commands. Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday, writing, “Seditious behavior, punishable by death!” He added, “This is really bad, and dangerous to our country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand.” This statement was directed at Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin, along with Representatives Jason Crow, Maggie Goodlander, Chris Deluzio, and Chrissy Houlahan—all of whom have military backgrounds. The lawmakers recently released a video encouraging troops to refuse “illegal orders.”

The video features these lawmakers, each with service experience in branches like the CIA, Air Force, Army, and Navy, urging military members to resist unlawful directives. They emphasized, “You must refuse illegal orders,” reminding troops that they are not obligated to follow commands that contravene the law or the Constitution. Trump’s reaction was one of outrage, as he labeled them “traitors” in a series of social media posts.

Trump further escalated the situation by sharing a post advocating for the lawmakers’ execution, stating, “Hang them George Washington Would!” The lawmakers did not clarify which specific “illegal orders” they were referring to, but their message comes amid criticism of Trump for authorizing strikes on alleged “narco-terrorist” vessels reportedly transporting drugs to the United States. The video also did not address how soldiers should respond if confronted with unlawful orders.

‘It’s called seditious behavior at the highest level,’ another one of Trump’s posts about the lawmakers reads. ‘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.’ Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called the video evidence of ‘Stage 4 [Trump Derangement Syndrome].’

But the Democrats defended their video, claiming that the commander-in-chief had put troops in an unenviable position where they are being forced to break the law. ‘We are standing by our troops, our service members who are often put in very difficult positions and Donald Trump has put them in very difficult positions and has alluded to putting them in even more difficult positions in the months and years ahead,’ Crow, a Colorado Democrat and former Army Ranger, explained to Fox News on Wednesday.

‘So we are reminding folks about what the uniform code of military justice says, what the Constitution says, what the law of war says,’ he added. Crow also cited Trump’s deployment of the National Guard around the country as a cause for concern among soldiers. The Democrat also pushed back on claims that the video was inspired by the military’s current buildup in the Caribbean.

In recent months, the US has conducted at least 20 lethal strikes on alleged narco-terrorist boats bringing drugs illegally to the US . The videos of the strikes, which have killed at least 80 people, have regularly been reposted by Hegseth and Trump.

Senator Kelly of Arizona, who was prominently featured in the video, pushed back on Trump advisor Stephen Miller’s claim that the Democrats were citing an insurrection. ‘I got shot at serving our country in combat, and I was there when your boss sent a violent mob to attack the Capitol,’ the Navy veteran said. ‘I know the difference between defending our Constitution and an insurrection, even if you don’t.’