The representatives in question are Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Representatives Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, and Jason Crow of Colorado, all of whom have military or intelligence backgrounds. They posted a video on X asserting that “the laws are clear: service members are entitled to refuse to follow unlawful orders.”
For his part, President Donald Trump described the representatives as “traitors” via his Truth Social account, then accused them of “incitement punishable by death,” before reiterating on Saturday evening that they “should be in jail right now.”
Vance’s comments follow an interview with Slotkin on ABC’s “This Week,” where she stated that she was “unaware” of any illegal military orders issued by Trump. Since returning to office in January, Trump has resorted to or attempted to resort to National Guard troops in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Memphis, and other cities, citing security concerns related to crime or protests against immigration policies.
It is worth noting that American law restricts the use of the military in civilian law enforcement. In September, a federal judge ruled that the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles was inconsistent with an 1878 law, while another court ruling this week concluded that sending troops to the capital exceeded presidential authority.
These events have sparked widespread debate in Washington, with observers noting that they reflect escalating tensions between the executive and legislative branches over the scope of the military’s role in domestic affairs.
