House Dem urges military to uphold constitutional oath to Trump

Democrats and Republicans heard two very different conclusions when a group of Democratic lawmakers called on the U.S. military not to carry out certain orders in a video that went viral on social media Tuesday.

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., one of the lawmakers featured in the video, expressed exasperation with the way critics had framed the message.

“I’m not telling people to ignore orders,” Houlahan said Wednesday. “I am extremely frustrated by the way this very sensible video is being interpreted in a truly insidious way.”

AS ‘SQUAD’ TURNS ASSIMILATION INTO ‘DIRTY WORD,’ EXPERT URGES US LEADERS TO GIVE UP LOYALTY ABROAD

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., is interrupted by Capitol Police as she questions House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., during a House Republican news conference on the government shutdown on the House steps of the U.S. Capitol, Nov. 5, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Houlahan and five other Democrats with military or intelligence experience had encouraged the military not to carry out illegal orders.

“Threats to our Constitution come not only from abroad but also from here at home. Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one is required to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution,” the lawmakers said.

“Don’t abandon ship,” the video adds, referencing a phrase used by the Navy.

Houlahan was joined by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., and Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H.

PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL MEMBER CALLS ON NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO DEFY DEPLOYMENT ORDERS

The video does not give an example of the specific types of orders the military might have to refuse.

In a separate message toSlotkin suggested that military personnel invited to carry out airstrikes off the coast of Venezuela might be engaging in illegal strikes and said some pilots had expressed concerns about their involvement.

Republicans who responded to the exhortation ridiculed it as an example of Democratic paranoia about Trump.

“(It’s) TDS Level 4,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said. in a message toreferring to Trump Derangement Syndrome, a nickname for Democrats’ fixation on the president.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth urged new officers to remember what it was like to be in the position of graduates and to always support each other. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said the call seemed politically charged.

“Ultimately, they’re furious that the American people chose Trump, and now they’re calling on the military and intelligence community to step in. It seems a little ‘subversive to democracy,'” Schmitt said.

Asked about the video, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he supports the exhortation in principle but noted that it is sometimes difficult to parse what is allowed and what is not.

“You can’t disobey the Constitution,” Reed said. “The problem, from a practical point of view, for me is that it is often very difficult to make a decision.”

The Democrats who made the video believe the video was saying they had a very specific standard in mind.

When asked what types of orders the military should ignore, Crow, one of the lawmakers in the video, pointed to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

“The goal is to remind people of their oath and their obligations to the Constitution and their obligations under the UCMJ, which are very clear,” Crow said.

SEN. BLACKBURN QUICKS DEMOCRATS TO FOLLOW ‘DISTURBING’ VIDEO URRING TROOPS TO DEFY ‘ILLEGAL’ ORDERS

Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., leaves a House Democratic Caucus meeting on President Joe Biden’s candidacy for the Democratic National Committee. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The UCMJ, passed by Congress in 1951, governs a range of matters for which servicemembers can be penalized, from desertion to the commission of war crimes. The video released Tuesday by lawmakers does not mention the UCMJ by name.

Houlahan said the code should clearly delineate what is allowed and what is not.

“Well, as an example, we’re not supposed to use our military against our own citizens. Period. That’s why the Uniform Code of Military Justice exists,” Houlahan said.

She noted that there are ways for servicemembers to appeal orders they are concerned about.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“You have an obligation to know and respect your chain of command. You do, however, have a chain of command that you can go through that you can escalate these requests if you feel they are not legal or appropriate, and that’s what I encourage, and my colleagues encourage people to do that,” Houlahan said.

The War Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

—Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report