Donald Trump Calls for Execution of Democratic Lawmakers
He's an authoritarian and he isn't hiding it. He must be removed.
In a blatant display of authoritarian sword-rattling, President Donald Trump has publicly accused several prominent Democrats of sedition and called for their execution. The posts in question, which appeared on Truth Social, the President’s social media site, are not only another sign of his authoritarian streak, but are also a demonstration of Trump’s willingness to use the most extreme measures possible to suppress dissent. Simply put, must be removed from office.
Unacceptable Threats and Lies
On Tuesday, several Democratic Senators released a video on Facebook directed at military personnel, encouraging them to disobey what the Senators called “illegal orders.” The video’s description read: “We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community. The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution. Don’t give up the ship.” It was a clear and direct warning against unlawful actions by the American military.
The video comes amid a larger fight over the administration’s use of military force against alleged drug boats in Venezuela, as well as the administration’s continued attempts to weaponize ICE against American cities. Previously, President Trump faced criticism for an overtly partisan speech aimed at the Pentagon’s top officials.
In reaction to the speech, Trump raged on Truth Social, saying, “This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand...SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” In another post, the President made his intentions clear, writing simply “ SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
It is worth noting that military personnel are not only allowed but also obligated to refuse illegal orders, and merely pointing out that basic fact is not sedition. It is protected speech under the First Amendment.
Military personnel swear an oath to the Constitution and to the United States, not the President. Despite Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s claim that every order given by this administration “is lawful,” the reality is far more complicated. If the President were to say, order the capture and assault of a political opponent by military personnel, that order would be undeniably illegal, regardless of who gave the order.
Numerous regulations restrict how military personnel react to orders. Under the UCMJ’s Article 134, military members are prohibited from engaging in any conduct that could be construed as “disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces, all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces, and crimes and offenses not capital.” International law also doesn’t accept the “just following orders” defense as valid if the person following the orders knew they were unlawful. Just following orders is an excuse that is not acceptable.
The Denial
Donald Trump’s allies may argue that the President was not encouraging violence against his political opponents. That he was, in fact, criticizing what he sees as a usurpation of lawful executive authority. Never mind that Trump has repeatedly demonstrated a cavalier attitude toward the law and its value. Trump’s own social media demonstrates the flimsiness and absurdity of this argument. For one, Trump reposted another user’s statement, saying, “HANG THEM LIKE GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD!!”
That alone is enough to demonstrate his meaning when he brings up the death penalty, but even if we discard such posts, the President’s unprompted decision to mention the death penalty at all makes clear what he had in mind.
You don’t casually bring up the potential execution of your political opponents unless you are attempting to suggest that those executions should occur, especially in the political environment we are facing now. This is a direct call for the state to take unacceptable steps towards the Presidency’s enemies.
Get Him Out
Donald Trump knows exactly what he is doing, and he is doing it intentionally. He is willing, ready, and able to use the full force of the executive to undermine the rule of law. He can’t be trusted to ensure the law remains impartial or without cruelty. Trump is cruelty incarnate and expects blind obedience to his viciousness. Such a person is not fit for the highest office in the land. Donald Trump must be removed from office. Whether it is by the 25th or by impeachment, Donald Trump is a threat to America’s survival as a republic. He must go, and his departure must be immediate.
References
“(8) Video | Facebook.” https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2558895077819811 (November 20, 2025).
Bendery, Jennifer. 2025. “‘HANG THEM’: Trump Boosts Message Calling For Executing Democrats In Congress.” The Huffington Post. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/hang-them-trump-boosts-message-calling-for-executing-democrats-in-congress/ar-AA1QPwap?ocid=BingNewsSerp (November 20, 2025).
Cole, Brendan. 2025. “Pete Hegseth Reacts as Six Democrats Urge ’Refuse Illegal Orders’ - Newsweek.” Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/pete-hegseth-reacts-six-democrats-urge-refuse-illegal-orders-11072941 (November 20, 2025).
“Defence of Superior Orders.” https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1/rule155 (November 20, 2025).
“Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump).” Truth Social. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115582703277798715 (November 20, 2025a).
“Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump).” Truth Social. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115582451169685243 (November 20, 2025b).
Eric Michael Garcia [@EricMGarcia]. 2025. “Mike Johnson Responds to My Question about Trump Saying Members of Congress Committed Treason Punishable by Death. Https://T.Co/V6Dxj8nV9N.” Twitter. https://x.com/EricMGarcia/status/1991555069574279273 (November 20, 2025).
Gooding, Dan. 2025. “Democrats React to Donald Trump’s ‘Punishable by Death’ Remark.” Newsweek. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democrats-react-to-donald-trump-s-punishable-by-death-remark/ar-AA1QPGtp?ocid=BingNewsSerp (November 20, 2025).
McCreesh, Shawn. 2025. “Trump Calls Democrats’ Military Video ‘Seditious Behavior, Punishable by Death.’” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/us/politics/trump-democrats-sedition-death-punishment.html (November 20, 2025).
Pereira, Ivan. “What the Military Oath of Enlistment Says about Legal and Illegal Orders.” ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/military-oath-enlistment-legal-illegal-orders/story?id=127725085 (November 20, 2025).
“U.S. Constitution - First Amendment | Resources | Constitution Annotated | Congress.Gov | Library of Congress.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/ (November 20, 2025).
Well done article!