The FBI is targeting a group of Democratic lawmakers after they released a video urging U.S. service members to refuse unlawful orders, a move that has escalated tensions with President Donald Trump, who called them “traitors.” The Department of Justice has directed the U.S. Capitol Police to assist with scheduling interviews, Fox News reports.
The lawmakers under scrutiny include Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Representatives Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan, New Hampshire Representative Maggie Goodlander, and Colorado Representative Jason Crow. Their video bluntly stated, “Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders.”
Trump responded with fury on Truth Social: “THE TRAITORS THAT TOLD THE MILITARY TO DISOBEY MY ORDERS SHOULD BE IN JAIL RIGHT NOW, NOT ROAMING THE FAKE NEWS NETWORKS TRYING TO EXPLAIN THAT WHAT THEY SAID WAS OK.”
Federal investigations into lawmakers are rare and typically tied to corruption or misuse of funds—not public statements. Yet now the FBI and DOJ are moving forward, with the Capitol Police coordinating the interviews.
The Pentagon has also opened an inquiry into Senator Kelly, the only member under its jurisdiction, to determine if he violated military law. Kelly, a retired Navy captain and former NASA astronaut, faces scrutiny under a federal law prohibiting actions that could affect the “loyalty, morale, or good order and discipline of the armed forces.”
The lawmakers have faced threats, including bomb threats, but remain defiant. Kelly posted on X Monday evening: “Donald Trump can try to intimidate me, but it’s not going to work. My job is to defend the Constitution and hold any president accountable.”
Senior officials slammed the video. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote: “The video made by the ‘Seditious Six’ was despicable, reckless, and false. Encouraging our warriors to ignore the orders of their Commanders undermines every aspect of ‘good order and discipline.’ Their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion — which only puts our warriors in danger.”
The DOD also reminded service members: “All servicemembers are reminded that they have a legal obligation under the UCMJ to obey lawful orders and that orders are presumed to be lawful. A servicemember’s personal philosophy does not justify or excuse the disobedience of an otherwise lawful order.”
Slotkin fired back, saying: “This is the President’s playbook: using intimidation, harassment, and the weight of the federal government to try and silence anyone who speaks up against him. That won’t stop Senator Kelly, or any of us, from standing up for what’s right.”
No official announcement has come from the DOJ or FBI, but the unfolding investigation marks an extraordinary clash: lawmakers with military and intelligence experience facing federal scrutiny for asserting the Constitution above orders from the commander-in-chief.
