Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan has reported a dramatic surge in threats against her safety following former President Donald Trump's inflammatory social media posts targeting Democratic lawmakers.
Threats Escalate After Trump's Social Media Outburst
Senator Slotkin revealed that her office received hundreds and hundreds, if not closer to 1,000 threats after Trump denounced a video featuring her and five other Democratic veterans. The Michigan lawmaker was one of six Democrats featured in a video that drew Trump's ire earlier this week.
The controversial video, released by Democratic veterans and former intelligence officers, reminded service members they could refuse illegal orders from the administration. This message provoked an immediate and aggressive response from the former president through his social media channels on Thursday.
Violent Rhetoric and Security Response
Trump's social media posts included multiple calls for severe punishment against the Democratic lawmakers. In one post, he demanded they should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL, while another described their actions as SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH. Most alarmingly, Trump reposted an anonymous user's message that read, HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD.
The immediate consequence was a security crisis for the targeted lawmakers. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries confirmed they had arranged for enhanced security protection. The Sergeant of Arms arranged for 24/7 security for the affected Democrats as threat levels escalated dramatically.
Democratic Condemnation and White House Response
Democratic leaders issued a joint statement condemning Trump's rhetoric as dangerous and irresponsible. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar demanded that Donald Trump must immediately delete these unhinged social media posts and recant his violent rhetoric before he gets someone killed.
During a White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attempted to downplay Trump's comments, stating he was not calling for the execution of lawmakers. However, she quickly pivoted to criticizing the Democrats' original message rather than addressing the security concerns raised by the threat escalation.
The White House has not yet responded to specific inquiries about the influx of threats that Senator Slotkin described following the social media incident.
