On Tuesday, a contingent of Democratic legislators with backgrounds in the military and intelligence fields launched a video, imploring service members to “refuse illegal orders,” a message that drew sharp criticism from conservatives who viewed it as a challenge to President Donald Trump and his Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth.
The one-minute video, disseminated by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and garnering over 1.6 million views, showcased six lawmakers leveraging their previous service to convey to members of the military and intelligence community that “the threats to our Constitution are originating from within our borders.”
In recent weeks, Slotkin and her fellow lawmakers have been actively promoting legislation aimed at curtailing President Trump’s authority to deploy National Guard troops domestically or initiate military actions against narcoterrorists without obtaining congressional consent.
The video, entitled “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” omits all of this context and instead presents the appeal as a cautionary message to military personnel, urging them to “uphold our laws” and “reject unlawful orders.”
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Conservative circles responded to the widely circulated clip by referencing military law and interpreting the call to action as an alleged attempt to incite treason against the United States.
“Elected Democrats have just released a video encouraging members of the military to commit treason and disregard directives from Trump and Hegseth,” stated the conservative Libs of TikTok account.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., commented: “Ultimately, they are displeased that the American populace chose Trump and are now urging the Military and Intelligence Community to step in. This seems somewhat ‘subversive to democracy’.”
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The Department of War directed Fox News Digital to Hegseth’s reaction, which consisted of simply stating, “Stage 4 TDS,” alluding to “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Slotkin’s “No Troops in Our Streets Act,” which was detailed in a Nov. 13 announcement, would grant Congress the ability to prevent National Guard deployments within American cities. President Trump has broadened National Guard operations to encompass Los Angeles, Portland, and Chicago in response to escalating violent crime.
Concurrently, Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., introduced a War Powers Continuing Resolution on Tuesday, seeking to prevent the president from authorizing strikes on drug traffickers in the Caribbean—actions that Crow characterized in a release as “unauthorized and illegal.”
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Both Democrats assert that their legislative efforts are aimed at reinforcing congressional authority, not engaging in political maneuvering. The widely shared video from Tuesday, accompanied by upbeat music, does not explicitly reference either piece of legislation.
The lawmakers featured in the video include Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.; Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa.; Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H.; Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.; and Rep. Jason Crow. Several of them recite a variation of the statement: “You have the right to refuse illegal orders. You are obligated to refuse illegal orders.”
The branches and agencies represented among the lawmakers include the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Central Intelligence Agency.
“Some individuals within the administration and media are deliberately attempting to misrepresent that message as something sinister or divisive,” Houlahan stated in a communication with Fox News Digital. “Let me be unequivocally clear: there is no action more patriotic, more stabilizing, or more in line with the rule of law than reminding our military of their constitutional responsibilities and reassuring them that they are not obligated to execute an unlawful order if one is ever issued to them.”
“‘Don’t Give Up the Ship’ is not a call for rebellion—it is a time-honored naval saying that has consistently represented steadfastness, duty, and devotion to one’s country. This is the foundation of American civil-military tradition,” she further explained.
The video was released following a 43-day government shutdown, during which American troops continued to receive their pay under the Trump administration.
The White House, Slotkin, Kelly, Deluzio, Goodlander, and Crow have not yet responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
