Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) spoke out Monday against accepting illegal orders, reviving a months-old clash with President Donald Trump after she said his social media attacks over a 90-second video led to threats against her and her family.
Slotkin Says Silence Will Not Protect Critics
Slotkin wrote on X that the dispute began with a November 2025 video she organized with five other Democratic lawmakers with military or intelligence backgrounds. The lawmakers urged service members to refuse illegal orders and honor their oath to the Constitution.
“Trump threatened to have me hanged over a 90-second video I made. I’m a sitting United States Senator and spent decades serving this country, and it didn’t matter,” Slotkin wrote. “Keeping your head down will not keep you safe. Staying quiet will not keep you safe.”
The November video, titled “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” featured Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.).
Lawmakers Defend Warning On Illegal Orders
The lawmakers spoke directly to active-duty service members, saying troops faced pressure amid the Trump administration’s domestic deployments and reminding them that they must reject illegal orders.
Trump responded on Truth Social by calling the video “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!!” He later wrote, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” and shared a follower’s post saying, “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”
Slotkin later said the remarks triggered bomb threats, swatting incidents involving her family and graphic messages from people saying they wanted to see her executed for treason. Capitol Police placed her under round-the-clock protection.
Federal Inquiry Escalates Political Fight
In January, Slotkin said the Trump administration had opened an investigation into her through the office of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. The Justice Department has not publicly detailed the inquiry.
Slotkin has defended the video, saying it restated standard military training and protected speech. Critics of the lawmakers say Trump’s posts referred to legal penalties for sedition or treason, not a direct order to harm them.
“This moment isn’t really about me,” Slotkin said in a May 31 social media post. “When the administration is willing to go after a senator this way, it sends a message to every American who might speak up. That should concern people in both parties.”
Separately, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth moved to censure and retroactively demote Kelly. Kelly sued, alleging unconstitutional retaliation for protected speech.
Image via Shutterstock/ Joey Sussman
