The White House on Wednesday slammed a call by six Democratic lawmakers for US military and intelligence personnel to refuse “illegal orders” from President Donald Trump’s administration.
“Top Democrats openly appeal to CIA and military officials to engage in rebellion against their Commander-in-Chief. Do not underestimate how dangerously radicalized the Democrat party has become,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller posted on X.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also hit back against the message, describing it on X as “Stage 4 TDS,” or “Trump Derangement Syndrome” — a term used by the right to mock the president’s opponents.
The group of Democratic senators and representatives — who themselves all have military or intelligence service backgrounds — said in a video posted Tuesday on X that “this administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens.”
“Right now, the threats to our constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home,” they said, adding: “You can refuse illegal orders.”
They did not specify which orders they were referring to, but Trump’s administration has come under fire for its employment of US forces both at home and abroad.
Inside the United States, Trump has ordered the National Guard into multiple US cities — in many cases against the wishes of local officials, who have responded with legal challenges — in a bid to bring allegedly rampant unrest under control.
And abroad, Trump has ordered strikes on a series of alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that have left more than 80 people dead since early September.
Experts say the strikes are illegal and amount to extrajudicial killings even if they target known traffickers.
The lawmakers in the video appeal included Senator Mark Kelly, a former member of the Navy and NASA astronaut, and Senator Elissa Slotkin, who served with the CIA in Iraq.
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