XPost: alt.politics.trump, alt.military, sac.politics   
   XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, talk.politics.guns   
   From: noreply@mixmin.net   
      
   President Trump suggested in an interview aired Friday that the   
   Department of Defense is investigating the six Democratic Congressional   
   veterans who released a video this week urging service members to reject   
   unlawful orders.   
      
   Why it matters: The threat of an investigation into the message is   
   highly unusual and escalates the president's trend of policing   
   Americans' protected free speech when it's critical of him or his   
   allies.   
      
   In the video, the veterans —  Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Mark   
   Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Maggie Goodlander   
   (D-N.H.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) — told the   
   military and intelligence communities that "no one has to carry out   
   orders that violate the law or our Constitution."   
      
   Trump reacted to the video on Truth Social Thursday, including in a post   
   where he wrote: "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH," prompting a   
   firestorm response from Democratic leaders in Congress and a long-shot   
   U.S. Capitol Police probe over the messages.   
      
   What they're saying: Trump said during Friday's appearance on "The Brian   
   Kilmeade Show" that the six lawmakers were in "serious trouble. I'm not   
   threatening death, but I think they're in serious trouble. In the old   
   days, it was death."   
      
   "I think [Secretary of Defense] Pete Hegseth is looking into it," he   
   said, and later added: "I know they're looking into it militarily. I   
   don't know for a fact, but I think the military is looking into it, the   
   military courts."   
      
   The Pentagon referred Axios to the White House for comment, which   
   referred Axios to the president's comments.   
      
   Worthy of your time: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche laid out the   
   case for why the lawmakers could be investigated on Fox News Thursday,   
   but declined to answer directly if the Justice Department is actively   
   investigating, as is protocol.   
      
   The department told Axios they have "no comment" beyond Blanche's   
   remarks. Yes, but: Members of the military "have the right, and in some   
   cases have the duty, to refuse illegal orders," according to the   
   National Lawyers Guild Military Law Task Force.   
      
   Zoom in: Members of the armed forces are subject to both civilian laws   
   and courts as well as the military justice system.   
      
   Active duty members are always subject to the Uniform Code of Military   
   Justice. But how the UCMJ applies to veterans is complicated and depends   
   on how they retired from active service.   
      
   Out of the six lawmakers, only Sen. Slotkin's office responded to Axios'   
   request for comment. They referred us to Slotkin's Thursday evening post   
   on X.   
      
   https://www.axios.com/2025/11/21/trump-investigate-sedition-video-democra   
   ts-congress-veterans   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)