Democrats spent Trump's entire first term organizing resistance at every level of government.
Now they're taking their sabotage to dangerous new territory.
And an Air Force General accused Democrats of treason for this sick move against Trump.
Six Democrat lawmakers produced a video telling troops to defy Trump's orders
Six Democrat members of Congress who previously served in the military or intelligence community posted a video on social media that sent shockwaves through Washington, D.C.
Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin along with Representatives Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, and Chrissy Houlahan stared into the camera and delivered a message aimed directly at active-duty military personnel and intelligence officers.
"You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders," they said, taking turns delivering the lines like a coordinated political ad.¹
The Democrats claimed the Trump administration was "pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens."²
They wrapped their message in patriotic language about protecting the Constitution and ended with the famous War of 1812 rallying cry: "Don't give up the ship."
President Donald Trump's response was swift and unambiguous.
He posted on Truth Social that the Democrats committed "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL" and declared that "Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL."³
Trump followed up with another post stating flatly: "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!"⁴
The President also reposted content from other users including one that read: "HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!"⁵
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that Trump wasn't literally calling for executions but made clear the video crossed a dangerous line.
"The sanctity of our military rests on the chain of command, and if that chain of command is broken, it can lead to people getting killed," Leavitt explained during her daily briefing.⁶
Retired Air Force General Blaine Holt didn't mince words about what Democrats just did
Retired Air Force Brigadier General Blaine Holt appeared on Newsmax's "The Chris Salcedo Show" and delivered one of the most forceful condemnations of the Democrat video yet.
Holt spent over 28 years in the Air Force, commanded the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing during the Afghan surge in Kyrgyzstan, served as Director of Logistics for U.S. European Command, and became the second-highest ranking U.S. military official at NATO.
He earned a Bronze Star for his combat leadership during multiple crises including a coup d'état and ethnic violence that the Commander of U.S. Central Command deemed "essential" operations.
This wasn't some talking head with no military credibility spouting off for partisan points.
When Holt called the Democrat video "sedition" and "treason," he spoke from decades of experience understanding how military command structure works and what happens when politicians deliberately undermine it.
"This is sedition. This is treason," Holt stated bluntly.⁷
He warned the Trump administration that failing to hold these Democrats accountable would only embolden more sabotage.
"And here's the warning for the Trump administration. If you don't hold them accountable here, this is only going to get worse," Holt explained.⁸
The General pointed out that Trump has been more careful about following legal process than any President in modern history.
"No president has worked through the legal system more than President Trump has. No president has gone to the Supreme Court to make sure that everything is legally adjudicated [more] than President Trump," Holt said.⁹
Holt made clear he believed the Democrat push for military disobedience would escalate into something far more dangerous.
"We are on an escalatory path. There are days that I can remember in American history that resemble this one," he stated, referencing an 1859 meeting at Charleston's Dock Street Theater where secessionists discussed leaving the Union.¹⁰
The General was particularly disgusted that some of the Democrats in the video were veterans themselves.
"It's absolutely disgusting," Holt said, before demanding Attorney General Pam Bondi intervene immediately.¹¹
The Democrat video targeted Trump's military operations against drug cartels
The Democrat lawmakers didn't explicitly name which Trump orders they considered "illegal."
But the timing makes the target obvious.
Since September, the Trump administration has conducted military strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean that officials say are operated by drug cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
At least 83 people have been killed in 21 strikes on 22 vessels as of mid-November.¹²
Trump announced the first strike September 2, posting video of a boat being destroyed and stating that 11 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were killed.
"Let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America," Trump wrote on Truth Social.¹³
The administration notified Congress in early October that Trump had determined the United States is in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels that qualify as "unlawful combatants."¹⁴
Some Democratic lawmakers and legal experts questioned whether Trump has the authority to conduct these strikes without Congressional approval under the War Powers Act.
Pentagon military lawyers raised concerns about the legal basis for the strikes, according to sources familiar with internal discussions.¹⁵
But the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel produced a classified opinion arguing the President can authorize deadly force against drug trafficking organizations because they pose an imminent threat to Americans.¹⁶
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the top military lawyers for the Army and Air Force earlier this year, telling reporters he viewed them as potential "roadblocks to orders that are given by a commander in chief."¹⁷
The Democrat video telling service members to refuse "illegal orders" landed just as these legal debates intensified.
Democrats tried to invoke the War Powers Act to force Congressional approval for the strikes, but Senate Republicans blocked the measure.¹⁸
Trump has designated multiple cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations including Tren de Aragua, MS-13, the Sinaloa Cartel, and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
The strikes represent Trump following through on his campaign promise to wage war on the cartels flooding America with fentanyl that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year.
For Democrats to encourage military personnel to disobey orders in this context amounts to taking the side of drug cartels over American security.
Trump was right to call it what it is – sedition that threatens the chain of command and puts American lives at risk.
¹ Alexandra Marquez, Megan Lebowitz and Allan Smith, "Trump accuses Democrats of 'seditious behavior, punishable by death,' for urging military to ignore illegal orders," NBC News, November 20, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Jim Mishler, "Holt to Newsmax: Democrats' Call to Action 'Treason, Sedition'," Newsmax, November 20, 2025.
⁸ Ibid.
⁹ Ibid.
¹⁰ Ibid.
¹¹ Ibid.
¹² "2025 United States military strikes on alleged drug traffickers," Wikipedia, November 21, 2025.
¹³ "A timeline of US strikes on boats that have killed 83," CNN, November 17, 2025.
¹⁴ "Trump Says US Is in 'Armed Conflict' with Drug Cartels," Military.com, October 2, 2025.
¹⁵ "Democratic lawmakers urge troops to disobey illegal orders," Military Times, November 20, 2025.
¹⁶ "Exclusive: Classified Justice Department opinion authorizes strikes," CNN, October 7, 2025.
¹⁷ "Democratic lawmakers urge troops to disobey illegal orders," Military Times, November 20, 2025.
¹⁸ "2025 United States military strikes on alleged drug traffickers," Wikipedia, November 21, 2025.
