President Donald Trump accused U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander and five other Democratic veterans in Congress of traitorism after they made a video urging U.S. military personnel to refuse “illegal orders.”
Goodlander, who represents New Hampshire’s second district, was an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and said in the video, posted Tuesday, that service members swore to “protect and defend” the Constitution.
Trump responded Thursday on social media by calling the video “seditious behavior, punishable by death.”
In a joint statement, Goodlander and the other members of Congress said they wouldn’t be deterred and called on the country to condemn Trump’s comments.
“In America today, our service members need to know that we’ve got their back as they honor that sacred oath and as they uphold the basic obligation under federal law to follow lawful orders and lawful orders only,” Goodlander said in a video posted on X Thursday evening. “It is sad, telling and downright dangerous that simply stating what our law says caused the president of the United States, our commander in chief, to threaten violence against me today.”
In the group video, the members of Congress did not reference any specific orders that they consider illegal but said the Trump administration is “pitting” the military against U.S. citizens.
The administration has faced legal challenges over the deployment of National Guard troops to several American cities.
Military troops, and especially leaders, are required to reject an order if they discern it to be unlawful, but there could be punishments on either side. Generally, simply following orders doesn’t release an officer from legal accountability, but disobeying or failing to obey orders can carry criminal charges under U.S. military law.