A growing number of Republican lawmakers are urging President Donald Trump to soften his language after he accused six Democratic lawmakers of seditious behavior following their video message to military service members, with one senior GOP congressman telling ABC News that the administration should “tone down the rhetoric.”
Texas Rep. Mike McCaul appeared on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, where he distanced himself from Trump’s inflammatory comments. McCaul said he would tone down the rhetoric and tone down the theme, emphasizing that the orders are not illegal.
The controversy began when six Democrats with military or national security backgrounds released a video telling troops they have a legal obligation to refuse unlawful orders. The lawmakers—Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, along with Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Chrissy Houlahan, and Maggie Goodlander—reminded service members of their responsibilities under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Trump responded by accusing the lawmakers of seditious behavior and said sedition is punishable by death. He later posted that the lawmakers should be in jail. The White House denied that Trump was threatening execution, but the president continued his attacks throughout the following days, calling them traitors on Saturday night.
The lawmakers reported receiving a wave of threats after the video’s release, requiring them to increase their security measures. The threatening response underscores the volatile political environment surrounding discussions of military authority and presidential orders.
Sen. Slotkin told ABC News that Trump is using fear as a tool. She argued the video came in response to military officers who raised concerns directly with lawmakers about potentially questionable orders. Slotkin explained that legal officers and JAG officers have come forward questioning the legality of certain orders, noting that illegal orders have been recognized in military law dating back to the Nuremberg trials.
When pressed on whether Trump had actually issued illegal orders, Slotkin acknowledged she was not aware of anything definitively illegal but expressed concern about what she called “legal gymnastics” surrounding strikes in the Caribbean and operations related to Venezuela. Her primary worry centered on the potential use of military forces domestically, noting that courts have overturned military deployments in U.S. streets.
Vice President JD Vance pushed back against the Democrats’ message, stating on social media that telling the military to defy the president is by definition illegal if the president has not issued illegal orders. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt maintained that every order given to the military by the commander in chief is lawful.
McCaul defended the administration’s actions regarding Venezuela, stating that strikes on alleged drug boats are legal under Article 2 self-defense provisions of the Constitution. He argued the orders are based on stopping threats from drugs entering the country and killing Americans, therefore making them lawful commands that military personnel should follow.
Other Republican senators also expressed discomfort with Trump’s language. Sen. Rand Paul called the threats reckless and inappropriate, saying they stir things up rather than helping the country heal. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis voiced similar concerns, with Tillis noting that children are watching and the president should be mindful of his words’ impact on young people.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went further, questioning Trump’s mental fitness in response to his posts. She described his rhetoric as not just shocking but bizarre, erratic, and volatile, suggesting his mental state should be questioned.
The dispute highlights fundamental tensions about military chain of command, constitutional authority, and the separation of powers. Under military law, service members must obey lawful orders but are obligated to refuse unlawful ones—a principle established after World War II. The code provides no protection for soldiers who follow illegal directives.
Sen. Kelly, a retired Navy captain and former NASA astronaut, said Trump is trying to intimidate the lawmakers but vowed not to back down. He emphasized that he had simply reiterated that members of the military cannot follow illegal orders, a basic principle of military justice.
Slotkin suggested Trump’s aggressive response indicates he wants the issue to disappear, arguing he is trying to silence critics and distract from other news stories. She maintained the lawmakers created the video after military personnel approached them with questions about legal orders, particularly regarding potential domestic deployments.
The bipartisan pushback represents a rare moment of cross-party criticism of the president’s rhetoric, with both Democrats and some Republicans calling for more measured language when discussing military authority and potential punishments for political opponents.