Trump’s “Sedition” Accusations Ignite Fears of Military Politicization
A growing chorus of condemnation from veterans and legal experts is rising in response to former President Donald Trump’s accusations of “sedition, punishable by death” leveled against Democratic lawmakers. The controversy stems from a video released by a group of democrats urging service members not to follow “unlawful” orders, sparking a heated exchange over the appropriate boundaries between civilian oversight and military obedience.
The initial spark came after Representatives Maggie Goodlander, Jason Crow, Chris DeLuzio, and Chrissy Houlahan, along with Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin – all with backgrounds in military or national security – posted a video on Facebook addressed to US service members.”The governance is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence professionals against American citizens,” thay stated, adding a direct plea: “You must refuse illegal orders.”
While the lawmakers did not specify which orders they believed might be unlawful, their message was interpreted by many as a response to concerns about the potential misuse of the military for domestic political purposes, including Trump’s past deployment of troops to American cities during protests and a contentious deportation campaign.
Trump’s response, delivered via his Truth Social platform, was swift and inflammatory. “Seditious behavior, punishable by death!” he wrote, further demanding that these “traitors to our Country” be arrested and put on trial. He also amplified a user’s post calling for the lawmakers to be “Hang[ed] George Washington would!”
These comments have ignited outrage within the military’s legal community. “He uses sedition and treason very broadly and inappropriately,” explained David Frakt, a retired Air Force officer and attorney in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) corps. “The irony is that if anyone committed sedition or treason, it was the people that he urged to overthrow the government on January 6 [2021] – and you know, he pardoned all of those people and calls them patriots and martyrs and all the rest.”
Frakt emphasized the potential danger posed by Trump’s rhetoric, stating that the lawmakers are likely now fearing for their safety. “I think all of those people are very likely in fear for their life now, not because Trump would actually prosecute them for something because they didn’t actually commit a crime … but that they’re the ‘enemy of the people,’ and [the administration is] going to go after them. They’re going to say, ‘Well, Trump will pardon me.'”
The concerns extend beyond the immediate threat to the lawmakers.Several legal experts have pointed to recent actions by the US government, such as the destruction of alleged drug trafficking vessels off the coasts of Venezuela, as examples of possibly unlawful orders.Frakt described these actions as “murder, not combat,” arguing that “adherence to the law is taking a back seat.”
Don Christensen, a retired Air Force colonel and former chief prosecutor, labeled Trump’s comments on sedition as “horribly wrong.” He also criticized Senator Lindsey Graham, a former Air Force attorney, for requesting clarification on which orders the Democratic lawmakers deemed unlawful wi
