The White House has launched a fierce condemnation of six Democratic lawmakers who released a video encouraging military personnel to question potentially illegal orders from commanders, sparking a major political controversy and triggering a Pentagon investigation.
Political Firestorm Erupts Over Military Guidance
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered sharp criticism during an appearance on Fox News's "The Story With Martha MacCallum" on Monday, stating that U.S. military personnel "can't have" soldiers questioning whether orders are lawful while in the field. The comments came in response to a video released last week by six Democratic lawmakers with military and intelligence backgrounds.
The controversial video, published on November 18, urged military service members to disobey illegal orders that might come from President Donald Trump's administration. This prompted immediate backlash from Republican leaders, with Trump himself calling the behavior "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR" on social media and sharing a message that called for the lawmakers to be executed.
White House Condemns "Dangerous" Message
During her television appearance, Leavitt accused the Democratic lawmakers of "essentially encouraging military personnel to defy the orders of their commander-in-chief." She emphasized the potential consequences of such messaging, stating "They are trying to sow chaos and distrust, which is a very dangerous thing to do within the military."
Leavitt argued that the lawmakers couldn't provide specific examples of illegal orders because none exist. "They can't answer the question, Martha, because there is no answer. They can't identify illegal orders because there are no illegal orders," she told host Martha MacCallum.
The press secretary stressed the importance of maintaining clear military protocols, adding "You can't have a soldier out on the battlefield or conducting a classified order questioning whether that order is lawful or whether they should follow through. There must be a chain of command in our military."
Lawmakers Face Consequences and Scrutiny
The six Democratic lawmakers featured in the video include Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Rep. Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, and Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado.
During an interview on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, Senator Slotkin admitted she was "not aware" of whether Trump has issued any illegal orders to the military, raising questions about the video's premise.
The Department of Defense announced on Monday that it is opening an investigation into Senator Kelly, a retired Navy captain, in connection with the video. Additionally, the FBI has stated it's working to schedule interviews with the lawmakers involved.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called the video "despicable, reckless, and false" in a social media post, emphasizing that "The military already has clear procedures for handling unlawful orders. It does not need political actors injecting doubt into an already clear chain of command."
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between political leadership and military protocols, raising important questions about the appropriate relationship between elected officials and armed forces personnel during politically charged periods.
