https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fbi-scheduling-interviews-with-democratic-lawmakers-who-warned-military-about-2025-11-25/WASHINGTON, Nov 25 (Reuters) - The FBI has requested interviews with six Democratic members of the U.S. Congress who in a video message told members of the military they can legally refuse to carry out unlawful orders, a Justice Department official told Reuters on Tuesday.The Pentagon on Monday threatened to recall Senator Mark Kelly, a Navy veteran and one of the six lawmakers, to active duty potentially to face military charges over what Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth described on social media as "seditious" acts.President Donald Trump, who critics have said has sought to harness the power of the government to try to stifle dissent, accused the six Democrats of sedition and said in a social media post that the crime is punishable by death.The Justice Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the FBI interviews with the lawmakers were to determine "if there's any wrongdoing, and then go from there." The FBI is headed by Trump appointee Kash Patel.In a memo made public on Tuesday, Hegseth referred Kelly to the secretary of the Navy for "potentially unlawful comments" made in the video last week. Hegseth, in the memo, said he wanted a brief on the outcome of the review by December 10.
In statements on Tuesday, the Democrats described the FBI move as an effort by the Trump administration to intimidate them into silence."The President directing the FBI to target us is exactly why we made this video in the first place," U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, a former CIA officer and one of the six Democrats, said on X. "This is not the America I know, and I'm not going to let this next step from the FBI stop me from speaking up for my country, and our Constitution."The lawmakers have said their video statements accurately reflected U.S. law. American troops swear an oath to the U.S. Constitution, not the president, and under military rules must follow "any lawful general order or regulation."The other Democrats who appeared in the video released last week include U.S. Representatives Jason Crow, Maggie Goodlander, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan, all military veterans.The four House Democrats in a joint statement accused Trump of using the FBI as a tool to intimidate members of Congress and vowed that they would not be silenced. Kelly did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
The video did not refer to any specific illegal order, but many Democrats have expressed concerns - echoed privately by some U.S. military commanders - that the Trump administration is violating the law by ordering strikes on vessels purportedly carrying suspected drug traffickers in Latin American waters. The Pentagon has called the strikes justified because drug smugglers are considered terrorists.Democrats have also questioned the legality of Trump's use of military forces in American cities.The probe was reported earlier by Fox News.Trump's administration has shattered democratic norms by using law enforcement to pursue his perceived enemies. The Justice Department in recent months brought criminal charges against three prominent critics of the president, though a judge on Monday dismissed two of those cases.There is no charge of sedition under U.S. law for civilians, though the charge of "seditious conspiracy" carries a maximum penalty of 20 years. Several leaders of the January 6, 2021, attack by Trump supporters on the U.S. Capitol were convicted of that crime before Trump pardoned them.For troops, the Uniform Code of Military Justice includes a section on sedition, with possible penalties including death.
>>1460313This is the same story as >>1459830
>>1460316It's a new development though
>>1460313>law enforcement probes people telling people to follow the lawFor fuck's sake.
FBI agent: (Sigh) Senator, do you know why I'm here?Senator: Because the President is an 80 year old wailing toddler and you have to do this to pacify him?FBI Agent: Yes.Senator: Feel free to mess around on your phone while I work.FBI Agent: Thank you, Senator>FBI Agent sits on his phone for fifteen minutes, prompting ChatGPT to fill out report for him between texts, which he submits to Trump, who never reads it
>>1460313https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-republican-lawmakers-monitored-arctic-frost-probe-10841257>Democrats: "It's only okay when WE do it!"Typical.
>>1460327>Guys Dems investigating us for efforts to overturn the election is EXACTLY THE SAME as us investigating Dems for telling troops to follow the law and oath they swore to when they joined the army!
>>1460328>We weren't telling any soldiers to disobey the Commander in Chief. *wink wink* >How dare you investigate us for speaking to soldiers after we investigated you for having conversations with Trump!
>>1460321>telling people to follow the law>implying18 USC 2387>(a) Whoever, with intent to interfere with, impair, or influence the loyalty, morale, or discipline of the military or naval forces of the United States:>(1) advises, counsels, urges, or in any manner causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member of the military or naval forces of the United States; or(2) distributes or attempts to distribute any written or printed matter which advises, counsels, or urges insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member of the military or naval forces of the United States-
>>1460329If the CiC gives a clearly illegal or unconstitutional order then it's their duty to disobey it.
>>1460335Has he given such an order?
>>1460322That assumes the FBI hasn't be purged and filled with gestapo who will carry out their orders to arrest any political enemies of trump.
>>1460330Now where does it say you swear loyalty to the president and not the constitution? The Republican supreme court declaring trump is a king doesn't count.
>>1460338>denies the laws are legal>denies the legitimacy of the courts and potus>wowww why are you calling me a traitor noooo this is fascism!
>>1460336Did they say he had? Does the SecDef need to be imprisoned for implying Trump could give an unlawful order?Also the boat attacks are actually unlawful and in a just world, everyone involved would be hung for them. Not sure how involved the rotting pumpkin is with that shit, though.
>>1460341>Does the SecDef need to be imprisoned for implying Trump could give an unlawful order?Considering it's an inference that Trump will give an unlawful order, perhaps.We'll see. But this is the same shit Democunts have been doing for the past decade. It's well poisoning and inferences.No one did this to Bidet, Obama, or even Bush Jr.It would be interesting to see this brought to trial.
>>1460341>Did they say he had?So is that a no? Can you answer the question and stop being a disingenuous faggot? (also no)
>>1460321Elect mobsters, get a mafia. Welcome to Trump's America, where Putin's Russia is an inspiration to us all!
>>1460330So if a soldier is given an order that goes against the constitution or a law, is it their duty to follow that order no matter what? Or is it their duty to not follow that order? Because if its the latter, then the senators in questions didnt do anything wrong. They were simply reminding soldiers of their duty.
>>1460358Of course they didn't do anything wrong. The only person who thinks they did is Trump. The FBI questioning them is only an intimidation tactic because Trump is mad.
>>1460353>anon discovers what a rhetorical question isLmao what a retard
>>1460352>We'll see. But this is the same shit Democunts have been doing for the past decade. It's well poisoning and inferences.>No one did this to Bidet, Obama, or even Bush Jr.Trump literally, actually accused Obama of treason like two months agoThis is after he spent years accusing Obama of not being an American and therefore an illegitimate presidentAnd he's still whining about 2020 being stolen by Biden to this day>Inb4 none of that counts because I don't want it to
>>1460358To completely ignore this fucking question and refocus on the actual issue, this Demofaggot is attempting to sow confusion and wrest control from the duly elected President with his gay fucking PSA.There's no crime, and no indication of criminal action as any Venezuelan bombings are inline with what the US has been doing for at least 30 years.Perhaps it's time to question of the cartels are some of his major funders?
>>1460363And how many times has Trump been investigated, at times illegally, over bullshit? But now we can't do that?
>>1460363>Trump literally, actually accused Obama of treason like two months agoWell, he probably did commit treason.And there was a conspiracy to ensure Trump didn't win the 2020 election. It was quite literally stolen from him by propagandists and billionaires cooperating with left wing activists.
>>1460367is russia winning
>>1460367>Well, he probably did commit treason.Lol not even Trump's team actually believes that, which is why they never pursued it beyond dragging Tulsi out of her broom closet to do that humiliating press conference to distract from the love letter Trump sent Epstein (which Trump straight up lied to the American people about and said wasn't real)Thank you for confirming you are not a serious person and can be ignored going forward
>>1460369Sauces? You fuckers complain about Trump so much I can barely keep up with your complaints.
>>1460373you were enough of an obnoxious faggot before you started namefagging, you know
>>1460375I'm namefagging because the Indian troon that calls everyone "esl shill" doesn't believe multiple posters hate his fucking guts.So sauce me, tardo.
>>1460377NTA but anyone who is crazy enough to believe indian troons post here deserves every bit of trolling the ESL shill guy gives you.
>>1460377you think there's only one person here who makes fun of you? LOL. you're more delusional than i thought
>>1460377So far this thread has been you having an incoherent melty and multiple people laughing at youSounds like the esl shill guy is on to something
>>1460340>Say the republican courts and trump are above the constitution.Good job justifying the military senator's actions.
>>1460378>>1460379Well, you can make fun of me, but you can't seem to respond with anything that makes sense. I'll take your, markedly retard, disdain as full concessions.>>1460382Oh, really?
>>1460385Of course it doesn't make sense to you. You have a severe mental illness.
>>1460386>Here's my concessionThanks.
>>1460389You're proving his point again.
>>1460392I see no tangible points.
>>1460313The knots these freaks will tie themselves into to explain how reminding soldiers to follow the law is so, so telling.
Tough to be an officer or any soldier because most aren’t lawyers… so if Bush I says “Invade Iraq” even though no declaration of war has occurred and no deliberation by congress has occurred, do you follow the order? (The supremes would go on to decide after the fact that the lack of congresses prohibiting Bush from ordering the invasion was in fact an endorsement of the order through their silence,). Or how about Obama droning an American citizen… or now Trump ordering the execution of some fisherman they claim is a narco? Quite a risk to say, sorry, but you’re order is illegal and I don’t kiss tyrants asses- right or wrong you’ll be court martialled, labeled a traitor, and ruined.
>>1460469>some fishermanWho they've watched in HD from a camera on satellite that can give a colonoscopy from outerspace.Man, the existence of modern tech is inconvenient when being a shitty turbo faggot, huh?
>>1460475I do believe earlier in the thread it was stated, this has been the standard for like 30 years. There's absolutely nothing unprecedented about this, aside form the fact that we aren't doing it to please Israel by smashing their regional foes.>Think of all the austere religious scholars on those boats!!!Nah, fuck you shitface. Sick of your shit.
>>1460478Sure thing jack boot
>>1460481Right, jack off.
the world is full of shitheads that excell and bitching.
>>1460482Lolz. Tell me something. If there was a kid on the boat, would you pull the trigger?
>>1460478>Think of all the austere religious scholars on those boats!!!Nobody said anything like that. Stop fucking lying.They're just people. They don't need to be anyone special for killing them to be wrong. We don't know they're drug dealers. We've got proof that they are? Cool, show it.
>>1460483go on tiktok and search foodstamps or EBT and look at all the entitled screeching karens that think its YOUR responsability to feed their kids.
>>1460485>Nobody said anything like that.Oh yeah, that was last time you were complaining about everything, absolutely everything so hard provable terrorists were sainted.
>>1460484Do Venezuelans take their children on the boats they deliver drugs with?The boats they're probably aware the US is watching now?
>>1460498That didn't happen either. Stop fucking lying.
