‘By Definition Illegal’ – RedState
Vice President JD Vance sharply criticized six Democratic lawmakers who encouraged military troops to defy orders from their superiors, suggesting they themselves committed an “unlawful” act.
Vance was responding to one of those involved in the video message to military and intelligence officials, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), who admitted she was “not aware” of illegal orders issued by the commander in chief.
“If the president did not issue illegal orders, then members of Congress telling the military to defy the president is by definition illegal,” Vance wrote on X.
These comments appear to echo President Trump’s complaints that Democrats have engaged in seditious behavior.
If the president did not issue illegal orders, members of Congress telling the military to defy the president is by definition illegal. https://t.co/Q5drUE6BLS
– JD Vance (@JDVance) November 23, 2025
LEARN MORE: Did Democrats seriously criticize the Capitol Police for accusing Trump of sedition?
“Beyond the Pale”: Mike Johnson defends Trump and fires Democrats who called on the military to defy orders
The Democrats in question were initially so convinced that President Trump had indeed issued illegal orders that they released a video imploring the military to defy them. And the message wasn’t subtle either, as they referred to “this administration… pitting our uniformed military and intelligence professionals against American citizens.”
The message was clear: They were calling on the military sent to enforce immigration laws and eliminate crime in blue cities to defy their orders. As well as referring to orders to incinerate narcoterrorists and their drug smuggling boats, trafficking deadly narcotics into the United States.
When given the opportunity during an interview on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” However, Slotkin was afraid to definitively declare which orders were illegal.
“Do you believe President Trump issued illegal orders?” co-anchor Martha Raddatz insisted.
“To my knowledge, I’m not aware of anything illegal, but there’s definitely some legal gymnastics going on with these strikes in the Caribbean and everything involving Venezuela,” she replied.
Elissa Slotkin ADMITS Democrats lied about President Trump giving illegal orders to the military:
ABC: “Do you think President Trump issued illegal orders? »
SLOTKIN: “To my knowledge, I’m not aware of anything illegal.” pic.twitter.com/63F8AHkK7E
– RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 23, 2025
Unfortunately for Slotkin and the others, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Reps. Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6), Maggie Goodlander (NH-2), and Jason Crow (CO-6) — Vance is correct here.
You cannot do “legal gymnastics” by choosing whether or not to defy orders. personally feels are illegal. Democrats encourage military to use left mental gymnastics to interpret orders as illegal. There is a big difference between manifestly or manifestly illegal orders and those whose illegality is questionable, contested or requires legal interpretation.
The latter, refusing to obey an order that one feels personally questionable, East itself illegal.
While the president’s comments received the most media attention, accusing lawmakers of engaging in sedition and reminding them that once such a deplorable crime was punishable by death, other Republicans appear united that what they did was itself illegal.
The question is: what are we going to do about it?
“I’m not threatening them, but I think they’re in serious trouble,” says @POTUS about Democratic members of Congress encouraging members of the military to defy orders from their commander in chief.
“These are people who, in my opinion, broke the law.” pic.twitter.com/mWxcgKuNDD
– Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 21, 2025
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the president’s comments, saying, “What I read was that he defined the crime of sedition. That’s a factual statement.”
Johnson quantified these remarks by suggesting that legal experts should analyze the situation. Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary made similar remarks last week.
“Why don’t you talk about what these members of Congress are doing to encourage and incite violence?” » she asked the White House press corps.
Slotkin admitting she “is not aware” of illegal orders created even more problems for the group of so-called resistance warriors. If there is nothing illegal to defy, then anyone defying orders would be engaging in illegal activities themselves.
And if you didn’t know about illegal orders, Ms. Slotkin, why make this video in the first place? It’s obvious. Sow chaos in the military and intelligence community. To incite certain rogue members to engage in insubordination or mutiny.
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