President Donald Trump is calling for a group of Democratic members of Congress to be arrested and put on trial for sedition. He made the statement in response to a video from the lawmakers, in which they urged members of the military and the intelligence committee to resist potentially illegal orders.
“This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand,” the president wrote Thursday on Truth Social. “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???”
“It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL,” Trump wrote. “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.”
He later followed up: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., one of the representatives in the video, said he will not be intimidated or deterred by Trump.
“What’s most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law,” Crow said in a statement. “Every American must unite and condemn the President’s calls for our murder and political violence. This is a time for moral clarity.”
Sedition vs. treason
Trump is wrong about the potential penalty for sedition.
While treason is punishable by death, those found guilty of sedition face up to 20 years in prison. The seditious conspiracy statute can be used to charge people who “conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States…”
Treason applies to those who swore allegiance to the United States, then waged war against it or gave aid to its enemies.
What did the lawmakers say?
The video was a compilation of statements by Sens. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., with Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo., Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H. All are either military veterans or have worked in national security jobs.
“Our laws are clear, you can refuse illegal orders,” the lawmakers said. “No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our constitution.”
The lawmakers said they know public servants are under immense pressure but need to remain strong. The members of Congress said they have their back.
“This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,” the lawmakers said in the video.
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