Six Democrats urge military members to ‘refuse illegal orders’ in viral video; Hegseth responds
In a bold and controversial move, a group of Democratic lawmakers with military and intelligence backgrounds released a one-minute video on Tuesday, urging service members to “refuse illegal orders.” This video, entitled “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” was spearheaded by Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and has garnered over 1.6 million views. The lawmakers featured in the video, which includes prominent figures such as Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and Representative Jason Crow of Colorado, emphasize their military experience while warning that “the threats to our Constitution are coming from right here at home.” The release of this video coincided with their ongoing legislative efforts aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s ability to deploy National Guard members domestically and to conduct military actions without congressional approval.
The video has sparked significant backlash from conservative circles, with critics interpreting the message as a call to defy President Trump and his Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth. Conservative commentators have accused the Democrats of promoting treasonous behavior by encouraging military personnel to disobey lawful orders. For instance, the account Libs of TikTok labeled the video as an incitement to treason, while Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri characterized the appeal as subversive to democracy. In response, the Department of War simply dismissed the criticism as “Stage 4 TDS,” a reference to “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” The lawmakers argue, however, that their initiatives, including Slotkin’s “No Troops in Our Streets Act,” are about asserting congressional authority and protecting civil liberties rather than engaging in political theatrics.
The video has drawn attention not only for its content but also for the historical significance of its title. “Don’t Give Up the Ship” is a naval motto symbolizing steadfastness and loyalty to the country, and the lawmakers assert that it reinforces the importance of constitutional obligations. Representative Chrissy Houlahan emphasized that reminding military personnel of their duty to refuse unlawful orders is a patriotic act that upholds the rule of law. As the nation grapples with complex issues surrounding military authority and civil rights, this video serves as a focal point for the ongoing debate about the balance of power between the presidency and Congress, particularly in the context of recent government shutdowns and domestic military deployments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x27gDAcvTMk
A group of Democrat lawmakers with military and intelligence backgrounds released a video Tuesday urging service members to “refuse illegal orders,” a message conservatives blasted as a call to defy President
Donald Trump
and his Secretary of War
Pete Hegseth
.
The one-minute video, posted by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and viewed more than 1.6 million times, features six lawmakers invoking their prior service while telling members of the military and intelligence community that “the threats to our Constitution are coming from right here at home.”
Slotkin and her colleagues have spent recent weeks
introducing legislation
to limit President Trump’s ability to deploy National Guard members domestically or launch military action against narcoterrorists without congressional approval.
None of that context appears in the video, titled “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” which instead frames the appeal as a warning to military members to “stand up for our laws” and “refuse unlawful orders.”
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Conservative accounts countered the viral clip, citing military law and interpreting the call to action as an alleged appeal to commit treason against the United States.
“Elected Democrats just released a video encouraging members of the military to commit treason and defy orders from Trump and Hegseth,” wrote the conservative account Libs of TikTok.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., added: “At the end of the day, they’re mad the American people chose Trump and now they’re calling on the Military and Intelligence Community to intervene. Sounds a little ‘subversive to democracy’-ish.”
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The Department of War directed Fox News Digital to Hegseth’s response, which simply read, “Stage 4 TDS,” referring to ”
Trump Derangement Syndrome
.”
Slotkin’s “No Troops in Our Streets Act,” detailed in a
Nov. 13 release
, would give Congress the power to block
National Guard deployments
inside American cities. President Trump has expanded National Guard operations to
Los Angeles
, Portland and Chicago amid violent crime.
Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., simultaneously introduced a
War Powers Continuing Resolution
on Tuesday to block the president from ordering strikes on drug traffickers in the Caribbean—actions Crow described in a release as “unauthorized and illegal.”
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Both Democrats argue their bills are about asserting congressional authority, not politics. The viral video shared Tuesday, set to triumphant music, does not explicitly mention either piece of legislation.
Lawmakers appearing 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 recite a version of the line: “You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders.”
The branches and agencies represented among the lawmakers include the Army, Navy, Air Force and
Central Intelligence Agency
.
“Some in the administration and media are actively working to distort that message into something dark or divisive,” Houlahan said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Let me be absolutely clear: there is nothing more patriotic, nothing more stabilizing and nothing more true to the rule of law than reminding our military of their constitutional obligations and reassuring them that, if they are ever given an unlawful order, they do not have to carry it out.”
“‘Don’t Give Up the Ship’ is not a slogan of rebellion—it is a
historic naval motto
that has always stood for steadfastness, duty and loyalty to country. That is the backbone of American civil-military tradition,” she added.
The video follows a 43-day government shutdown during which American troops continued receiving pay under the
Trump administration
.
The White House
, Slotkin, Kelly, Deluzio, Goodlander and Crow did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
