Amid tremendous uproar on the left over President Donald Trump calling for the arrest of six Democratic lawmakers for “seditious behavior,” and even promoting a call for them to be hanged, the White House is walking back what has been described as Trump’s “violent rhetoric,” by saying he wants them to be held accountable.

The Democrats, all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or Intelligence Community, recorded a video reminding members of the military and the IC of their legal responsibility to not obey illegal orders.

Trump called their remarks “seditious behavior at the highest level,” and said that they should be “arrested and put on trial.” He also called the six lawmakers “traitors,” and wrote: “Seditious behavior, punishable by death!”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, asked about his attack on the Democratic representatives and senators, defended the president while appearing to attempt to minimize what Democratic leaders called “violent rhetoric.”

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“To suggest and encourage that active duty service members defy the chain of command is a very dangerous thing for sitting members of Congress to do,” Leavitt claimed, “and they should be held accountable, and that’s what the president wants to see. ”

When asked if Trump was encouraging political violence, Leavitt replied, “Why aren’t you talking about what these members of Congress are doing to encourage and incite violence?”

“They are literally saying to 1.3 million active duty service members, to defy the chain of command,” she charged.

U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), a former CIA officer, responded to Trump’s remarks by saying that Trump had “threatened myself and a number of other service and veteran lawmakers with arrest, trial, and death — because he didn’t agree with a video we put out this week.”

“I refuse to believe that this is the new normal,” she stated. “I refuse to believe that we are going to use fear and intimidation against people we disagree with. And I’m not going to be forced away from speaking up on behalf of my country.”

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House Democratic leaders said they had contacted Capitol Police to help protect the six Democrats after the president’s remarks, which they denounced as “disgusting and dangerous death threats” and “violent and unhinged rhetoric.”

“I’ve never seen a president who has gone this low,” said Leader Schumer. “I’ve never seen a president or heard of a president who has done more to encourage political violence. I have asked the Capitol Police to give special protection and keep an eye on [Elissa] Slotkin and [Mark] Kelly as well because you gotta worry after the president says these things.”

Leavitt: “To suggest and encourage that active duty service members defy the chain of command is a very dangerous thing for sitting members of Congress to do. And they should be held accountable. And that’s what the president wants to see.” pic.twitter.com/zqnlwyhLXq

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 20, 2025

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Image via Reuters

House Democratic leaders warned on Thursday that President Donald Trump’s attacks on six congressional Democrats, including calling for their arrest for “seditious behavior” and promoting remarks calling for them to be hanged, could lead to getting “someone killed.”

The president in a lengthy series of posts and reposts on social media targeted the six House and Senate Democrats, all U.S. Armed Forces or Intelligence Community veterans, for appearing in a video in which they reminded members of the military and the IC of their legal responsibility not to obey illegal orders.

“No one has to carry out orders that violate the law, or our Constitution,” they said. “Know that we have your back.”

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Trump called their remarks “seditious behavior at the highest level,” and said that they should be “arrested and put on trial.”

He also called the six lawmakers “traitors,” and wrote: “Seditious behavior, punishable by death!”

In a statement, House Democratic leaders including Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar praised their Democratic colleagues as having “served our country with tremendous patriotism and distinction.”

They condemned the president’s “disgusting and dangerous death threats against Members of Congress” and urged House Republicans to join them.

“Donald Trump incited a violent attack on the Capitol on January 6th as part of a treacherous attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,” they added. “The President’s violent and unhinged rhetoric against American patriots is consistent with his well-documented history of attacking prisoners of war, Gold Star families and war heroes.”

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They also announced that they “have been in contact with the House Sergeant at Arms and the United States Capitol Police to ensure the safety of these Members and their families.”

The leadership called on Trump to “immediately delete these unhinged social media posts and recant his violent rhetoric before he gets someone killed.”

Separately, on social media, Leader Jeffries wrote: “Donald Trump should keep his reckless mouth shut.”

Critics responded to the leadership’s message.

“Treat him like an unhinged menace,” wrote The New Republic’s Greg Sargent, referring to Trump. “He’s in deep political trouble. Don’t let up.”

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Image via Reuters 

President Donald Trump is calling for the arrest of six Democratic military and Intelligence Community veterans now serving in Congress, alleging “seditious behavior” for appearing in a video telling members of the U.S. Armed Forces and IC that they have the right to refuse to obey illegal orders from the Commander in Chief.

“No one has to carry out orders that violate the law, or our Constitution,” the six lawmakers said. “Know that we have your back.”

“In a video posted on X Tuesday,” CNN reported, “Democratic lawmakers Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly, Rep. Jason Crow, Rep. Maggie Goodlander, Rep. Chris Deluzio and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan said the ‘threats to our Constitution’ are coming ‘from right here at home,’ and repeatedly urged the military and intelligence community to ‘refuse illegal orders.'”

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President Trump lashed out at the Democrats in a post on his Truth Social website on Thursday.

“It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL,” he charged. “Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand – We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET. ”

The president did not stop there.

“This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” he wrote in a separate post.

“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” he continued.

Trump went on to repost “truths” from other social media users.

One read: “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”

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Others Trump reposted read: “sedition,” “Indict all of them,” “Traitors,” and “Domestic terrorist Democrats always causing chaos and destruction destroying people’s lives.”

Critics expressed concern.

MS NOW executive producer Kyle Griffin wrote: “Trump is now seeming to endorse execution for his perceived enemies — retweeting a post that called for the hanging of Democrats who told servicemembers to refuse illegal orders.”

Melanie D’Arrigo, executive director of the Campaign for New York Health, warned: “This is fascism — and pretending it’s not only empowers him to do worse.”

Fred Wellman, a 22-year Army veteran and Democratic candidate for Congress wrote: “It is the duty of our service members to disobey illegal orders. The leadership that fired all of the Judge Advocates General the first day Hegseth took charge knows that. The only reason you fire the lawyers is to cover your illegal acts.”

U.S. Army veteran and activist Skyleigh Uhrich commented: “Trump screaming sedition because democratic Veterans made a message that the military can disobey … unlawful orders. Conveying the Uniform Code of Military Justice is NOT sedition. January 6th was sedition and Trump pardoned them all.”

U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) remarked: “Spiraling gets worse — the guy has totally lost it as Epstein’s looms. 25th?”

We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.

The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.

Don’t give up the ship. pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r

— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 18, 2025

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Image via Reuters