Veterans flood Democrat’s office with supportive calls as backlash grows over ‘illegal orders’ video
In a recent viral video, Democratic Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, along with five fellow lawmakers who are military veterans, urged service members to feel empowered to refuse illegal orders from the President. This bold stance has sparked intense backlash from President Donald Trump, who labeled the group “traitors,” and from War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who called for a formal review of the comments made by the lawmakers. The video highlights a growing concern among some military members about the legality of certain orders and reflects a broader debate about the balance between obedience and moral judgment within the armed forces.
Following the video’s release, Houlahan shared a compilation of supportive voicemails from veterans across the country, expressing gratitude for her and her colleagues’ courageous stance. Callers identified themselves as veterans from various conflicts, including the Gulf War and Vietnam, and voiced their appreciation for the lawmakers’ advocacy for service members at a “tenuous time.” Many messages emphasized the importance of questioning orders that seem wrong or illegal, showcasing a collective sentiment that resonates with veterans who have served under challenging circumstances. However, the White House countered these assertions, claiming that Democrats failed to provide examples of unlawful orders from Trump or the Pentagon, insisting that all military orders are presumed lawful.
The fallout from the video has led to threats against several lawmakers involved, including bomb threats against their offices, a disturbing reflection of the polarized political climate surrounding military matters. Houlahan, who served in the Air Force and has a deep family legacy in the military, has vowed to continue speaking out despite intimidation tactics. As the Pentagon considers investigating Senator Mark Kelly, another prominent figure in the video, the implications of this incident extend beyond political discourse, raising critical questions about military ethics, the chain of command, and the role of elected officials in guiding service members through complex moral dilemmas. As tensions escalate, the conversation surrounding the legality and morality of military orders remains at the forefront of national discourse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB4k6VUIJLI
A Democratic congresswoman and former Air Force captain who joined five other lawmakers in a viral video advising service members they could refuse illegal orders from a president shared a slew of voicemails backing her stance.
The video released by six Democrat lawmakers who are veterans drew sharp rebuke from President
Donald Trump
, who called them “traitors,” and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who asked Navy Secretary John Phelan to formally review one senator’s comments in the clip.
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania
, who represents Chester County and Reading, shared a mashup of numerous messages praising her and her colleagues for “standing up” for military members at what the lawmakers involved said was a tenuous time to be serving the public.
DEM SENATOR WHO BASHED HEGSETH’S QUALIFICATIONS STANDS BY DOD SEC WHO OVERSAW BOTCHED AFGHAN WITHDRAWAL
Several callers were not constituents, including veterans from as far away as Fairbanks, Alaska. Others said they hailed from Philadelphia, Reading, West Chester, Phoenixville and Berwyn, Pennsylvania, along with Baltimore, Maryland; Carlsbad, California; and beyond.
They identified themselves by their military record as well, including Marine vets, infantry vets, a wounded warrior, a Gulf War vet and descendants of World War I, World War II, Vietnam and Korea.
“I am not a constituent,” one said. “I am
a veteran
.”
CALIFORNIA DEM TELLS HEGSETH HE’S AN ‘EMBARRASSMENT’ TO THE US, SHOULD ‘GET THE HELL OUT’ OF THE DOD
“Thank you for standing firmly with our service members,” another said.
“I just want to tell her I appreciate her comments, and they’re right,” a third caller said.
Addressing the video’s quotes directly, another veteran expressed gratitude that Houlahan was “letting them know it’s OK to question orders that seem wrong or illegal.”
JEFFRIES BECOMES HIGHEST-RANKING DEM TO CALL FOR HEGSETH TO RESIGN
“I’m with you. I’m behind you.”
“You have support and gratitude from citizens across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Thank you. That’s all I can tell you. Thank you very much. You’re making the commonwealth very proud. I am so proud of all six of you for making that video,” several callers added in an edited, composite excerpt.
“I will continue to speak up for you because you continue to speak up to me,” another told Houlahan.
SEN. TILLIS OPENS UP ABOUT ROLE IN PETE HEGSETH’S CONFIRMATION AFTER HEGSETH’S EX-SISTER-IN-LAW’S ALLEGATIONS
In response, the White House said Democrats like Houlahan were unable to list any examples of unlawful orders given by Trump or the Pentagon when they were asked.
“Because there have been none,” said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson.
“It should deeply concern all Americans that elected Democrats are publicly urging the military to openly defy the chain-of-command and the commander in chief’s lawful orders to subvert the will of the American people,” she said.
On Tuesday, Houlahan said the
FBI reached out
to the House and Senate sergeants-at-arms, who maintain order in the Capitol galleries, requesting interviews with lawmakers in the video.
”
President Trump
is using the FBI as a tool to intimidate and harass members of Congress,” Houlahan said.
“No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution.”
REPUBLICAN MILITARY VETS IN CONGRESS ARE ON A MISSION TO GET HEGSETH CONFIRMED
“We will never be bullied. We will never give up the ship,” she said, quoting a line from the video spoken by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.
The most prominent lawmaker in the video, Sen.
Mark Kelly
, D-Ariz., has since been subject to an impending investigation by the Pentagon, according to documents.
Kelly, a retired Navy combat pilot and astronaut, is in the distinct category of “retired” — requiring 20 years of service — rather than “former,” a status that allows the Pentagon to recall him for disciplinary action that could include loss of rank or other penalties.
FOX NEWS POLITICS NEWSLETTER: FORMER ARMY CAPTAIN WARNS DEMS’ ‘UNPATRIOTIC’ VIDEO COULD SPARK CHAOS
Hegseth branded Houlahan, Kelly and the others the “Seditious Six,” and his office released a statement saying that all “service members are reminded that they have a legal obligation under the UCMJ to obey lawful orders and that orders are presumed to be lawful.”
“A service member’s personal philosophy does not justify or excuse the disobedience of an otherwise lawful order,” the War Department said.
Houlahan spent two years on active duty in the Air Force from 1989-1991 and the rest of her career in the Reserves until separating in 2004.
Her father was a Naval aviator and she was born at the Naval Air Station Patuxent base in
St. Mary’s, Maryland
.
Five of the six lawmakers in the video also reportedly received bomb threats to their offices since the release of the video.
Slotkin, Houlahan and Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo., and Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., received threats to their Capitol Hill offices, while Rep. Maggie Goodlander, the wife of Obama National Security Adviser Jacob Sullivan, was subject to a bomb threat at her local office in Concord, New Hampshire, according
to Newsweek
.
