White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified Thursday that President Donald Trump does not seek the execution of members of Congress who urged military personnel to disobey unlawful orders, but emphasized that the president wants them “held accountable”, The Hill reported.
The clarification followed a social media post by President Trump earlier in the day, in which he responded to a video by six Democratic lawmakers with military and intelligence backgrounds. Trump labeled the video “seditious behavior from traitors” and later posted: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
When asked directly by a reporter whether the president wants to execute members of Congress, Leavitt responded, as quoted by The Hill, “No. Many in this room want to talk about the president’s response, but not what brought the president to responding in this way.”
Leavitt rejected claims that the president had issued any unlawful orders and accused the lawmakers of inciting insubordination within the military.
“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,” she said. “And they should be held accountable. And that’s what the president wants to see.”
The video in question featured Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Representatives Jason Crow (D-CO), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), and Maggie Goodlander (D-NH).
While the lawmakers did not cite specific actions by the White House, the video was released amid concerns over recent military operations. The Trump administration has conducted deadly strikes in the Caribbean and destroyed boats it claims were involved in drug trafficking.
The lawmakers also voiced concern over the deployment of National Guard troops in US cities.
In a joint statement responding to Trump’s posts, the six Democrats said, “What’s most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law. Our servicemembers should know that we have their backs as they fulfill their oath to the Constitution and obligation to follow only lawful orders. It is not only the right thing to do, but also our duty.”