President Donald Trump threatened six Democratic lawmakers with the death penalty on Thursday, saying they were “dangerous to our country.”
The four Democratic representatives and two Democratic senators issued a joint statement calling on members of the military and intelligence community not to take unlawful orders from the president. All six were either former veterans or national security analysts.
“This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,” they said in the video. “You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.”
Trump raged at the lawmakers in a series of posts to Truth Social.
“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” Trump wrote. “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
Trump’s threats drew immediate criticism from Democratic leaders. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries advised Trump to “keep his reckless mouth shut” while California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the president “sick in the head.”
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., called Trump’s threat unprecedented.
“If you’re a person of influence in this country and you haven’t picked a side, maybe now would be the time to pick a f**king side,” Murphy wrote on X.
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The lawmakers said that they “will not be intimidated” by Trump’s death threats, in a statement shared with Salon.
“What’s most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law,” the statement reads. “Every American must unite and condemn the President’s calls for our murder and political violence.”
