Trump Administration Escalates Attacks on Dissenting Lawmakers, Invoking FBI and Military Tribunals
The Justice Department and Pentagon are taking unprecedented steps against Democratic members of Congress who urged service members to question potentially unlawful orders, raising concerns about the weaponization of federal power.
The FBI and Department of Justice are scheduling interviews with members of Congress who recently urged service members to prioritize their oath to the Constitution over potentially “illegal orders,” a move that dramatically escalates tensions between the Trump administration and its political opponents. The actions, described by critics as politically motivated, follow accusations of treason leveled against the lawmakers by former President Trump.
Senator Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst and one of six lawmakers who participated in a video statement last week, revealed that she and others received communication from the FBI’s counter terrorism division on Monday night. “To be honest, the president’s reaction and the use of the FBI against us is exactly why we made the video,” Slotkin stated on Tuesday. “He believes in using the federal government against his perceived adversaries, and he’s not afraid to use the arms of the government against people he disagrees with. He does not believe the law applies to him.”
The escalating conflict also includes a threat from the Department of Defense to recall Senator Mark Kelly to face a military tribunal, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth alleging “seditious” acts. This move has ignited widespread condemnation from Democratic members of Congress and veterans groups, who characterize the investigations as stunts designed to stifle dissent.
Pam Bondi’s Department of Justice is simultaneously probing six Democratic members of Congress, while Hegseth is investigating those who joined the video urging service members to uphold their constitutional obligations.
A joint statement released by Representatives Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, and Chrissy Houlahan, all of whom appeared in the video, asserted, “President Trump is using the FBI as a tool to intimidate and harass members of Congress.” They affirmed their commitment to their constitutional duties, stating, “No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution… We will not be bullied. We will never give up the ship.”
The lawmakers’ video, comprised of individuals with extensive military and intelligence backgrounds, warned of “threats to our Constitution” originating “from right here at home.” This was widely interpreted as a reference to the Trump administration’s deployment of federalized National Guard troops to Democratic-led cities, ostensibly to support the president’s mass deportation agenda – a policy that has drawn criticism from veterans groups.
Concerns have also been raised regarding alleged illegal missile strikes authorized by the Trump administration against suspected drug-running vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific. While defense officials and the White House have defended these actions as justified force against “terrorists,” the legality of the operations remains under scrutiny. More than 80 people have reportedly been killed in these recent strikes.
An official within the Justice Department told Reuters that the upcoming interviews aim to “determine if there’s any wrongdoing and then go from there.”
Jacob Thomas, an Air Force veteran and advocate with Common Defense, expressed outrage at the Pentagon’s investigation of Senator Kelly. “This sham probe, spurred by baseless allegations from the Trump administration, is nothing more than an attempt to silence dissent and intimidate those who remind our troops of their duty to uphold the Constitution over unlawful orders,” Thomas said in a statement. “Senator Kelly’s call to refuse illegal directives is not misconduct, it’s patriotism. We must stand against this abuse of power and protect the integrity of our military institutions.”
Senator Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee and a former Army paratrooper, labeled the Pentagon’s investigation an “outrageous abuse of power,” characterizing it as “political retribution straight from the autocrat playbook.”
Senator Ruben Gallego, a Marine veteran and Senator Kelly’s counterpart in Arizona, delivered a scathing rebuke of Hegseth during a CNN interview on Monday. “You will never, ever, ever even be half the man that Senator Kelly is,” Gallego stated. “You, sir, are a coward. And the fact that you are following this order from the president shows how big of a coward you are.”
Former President Trump has openly called for the arrest of the lawmakers featured in the video, even sharing posts on his Truth Social account suggesting they should be executed. “Their words cannot be allowed to stand,” he wrote. “We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET.”
Hegseth defended the administration’s actions, arguing that the video “may seem harmless to civilians — but it carries a different weight inside the military” and constitutes a “politically-motivated influence operation.” He asserted that “vague rhetoric and ambiguity undermines trust, creates hesitation in the chain of command, and erodes cohesion,” adding that the military has established procedures for handling unlawful orders and does not require “political actors injecting doubt.”
Hegseth, referring to the lawmakers as the “Seditious Six,” also attacked Senator Kelly, questioning the appearance of his medals and uniform. He stated that Kelly, a Navy veteran and NASA astronaut, would face a uniform inspection “when/if” he is called back to active duty.
Senator Kelly responded to Trump’s threats, stating, “I said something that was pretty simple and non-controversial, and that was that members of the military should follow the law… And in response to that, Donald Trump said I should be executed. I should be hanged. I should be prosecuted.” He added, “I think it says a lot more about him than it says about me. He doesn’t want accountability.”
The unfolding situation represents a significant test of civilian control over the military and raises profound questions about the boundaries of presidential power and the protection of dissent in the United States.
