After harsh criticism, U.S. Pres Donald Trump tried to downplay his threats against Democratic members of Congress. “I didn’t threaten them with death, but I thought they were in serious trouble. It used to mean death,” he said in an interview with Fox News Radio. In his view, lawmakers had violated the law by asking members of the US military to refuse the US President’s orders.
What really happened? In the video Trump released, six Democratic members of Congress, who also have military or intelligence backgrounds, essentially called on members of the US military not to put themselves under pressure. “Our law is clear: You can refuse illegal orders – you must refuse illegal orders,” he said. No one may carry out orders that violate the law or the constitution.
Trump: “INTERRUPTORY CONDUCT, punishable by DEATH!”
Trump then made several posts on the Truth Social platform in which he accused a group of Democrats of “treasonous insurrectionary behavior.” In another post, he did not mention her by name, but wrote: “WELLLESS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
The Democratic Party reacted strongly. Senator Elissa Slotkin warned in a clip published by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that Trump was effectively calling for the execution of elected representatives. “Let me be clear: The President of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials,” Schumer said. It was “extremely dangerous”.
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