The White House has moved to defend former President Donald Trump after he used social media to amplify calls for the execution of sitting members of Congress. The controversy erupted after Trump reposted a message demanding lawmakers be hanged.
Trump's Inflammatory Social Media Posts
On Thursday, Donald Trump shared a post on his Truth Social platform that declared "HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!" The former president added his own commentary, writing "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!" in response to a video created by Democratic veterans in Congress.
The video in question, released by six Democratic representatives including Jason Crow of Colorado, urged members of the military not to follow unlawful orders. Representative Crow explained the group acted out of concern for potential future illegal orders should Trump return to power.
Trump escalated his rhetoric further, labeling their actions "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL" and demanding that "each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL." He concluded that "an example MUST BE SET."
White House Press Secretary's Response
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the severity of Trump's statements when questioned by reporters. Instead, she focused criticism on the Democratic lawmakers' video.
"Let's be clear about what the president is responding to," Leavitt told journalists. "You have sitting members of the United States Congress who conspired together to orchestrate a video message to members of the United States military... encouraging them to defy the president's lawful orders."
Leavitt argued that the sanctity of the military depends on maintaining the chain of command. She characterized the Democrats' message as teaching service members "that you can defy [Trump] and you can betray your oath of office."
Despite Trump's explicit death threats, Leavitt suggested the Democratic video might be "punishable by law," though she noted she wasn't a lawyer and would leave that determination to the Department of Justice.
Political Reactions and Legal Context
The incident has drawn criticism from some Republicans, notably Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. Paul told HuffPost that Trump's death threats "might be overkill."
"I'm against hanging other senators, I know that's outlandish," Paul stated. "You can ask me again next week, but I think hanging senators might be overkill."
The controversy highlights the ongoing tension surrounding military obedience. Under U.S. military law, service members have both the right and obligation to refuse illegal orders and can face prosecution for following "manifestly unlawful orders."
This legal standard creates a complex backdrop for the political confrontation, as both sides accuse the other of undermining military discipline and national security.
