House Dem leaders contact Capitol Police after Trump "death threats"
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House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar attend a press conference on the U.S. Capitol steps on Nov. 12. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
House Democratic leadership said Thursday they've been in touch with the U.S. Capitol Police and the House sergeant-at-arms to protect a group of lawmakers after President Trump appeared to suggest that their comments were "punishable by DEATH!""
Why it matters: Trump considerably ramped up the severity of his rhetoric against Democrats on Thursday after a group of military veterans serving in Congress released a video encouraging service members to resist unlawful orders.
- "This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???"
- In a follow-up post, he added: "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!"
What they're saying: "We unequivocally condemn Donald Trump's disgusting and dangerous death threats," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) said in a joint statement.
- "We have been in contact with the House Sergeant at Arms and the United States Capitol Police to ensure the safety of these Members and their families," they added.
- The three leaders called on Trump to "immediately delete these unhinged social media posts and recant his violent rhetoric before he gets someone killed" and for Republicans to "forcefully" condemn his comments.
- The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment on Trump's posts.
What happened: A group of House and Senate Democrats who served in the military or national security, led by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), released a video urging soldiers to "refuse illegal orders."
- In addition to Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) and Jason Crow (D-Colo.) appeared in the video.
- "No one has to carry out orders that violate the law" or the Constitution, Slotkin said in the video. The lawmakers did not highlight any specific orders they believe should not be obeyed.
Zoom in: The lawmakers in the video released a joint statement following Trump's posts that essentially doubled down on their initial comments.
- ""We ... swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States," they said. "No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation."
- They also repeated the line that was used to end their video: "Don't Give Up The Ship!"
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
Axios' Josephine Walker contributed reporting for this story.
