A group of six Democratic lawmakers who filmed a widely seen video urging troops to “refuse illegal orders” have seen a spike in fundraising since Donald Trump accused them of sedition and federal agencies began probing their efforts.
Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, a former Navy combat pilot and NASA astronaut involved in the video effort, was for a time the top fundraiser on the ActBlue platform on Tuesday, a person familiar with platform metrics told Newsweek.
Kelly, who is facing a potential court martial for his involvement in the video, has explicitly fundraised off the threats from the Trump administration.
“I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than about protecting the Constitution,” Kelly wrote in a message from the Democratic National Committee. “Call this what it is: Political persecution.”
All told, Kelly and his allies have offered at least a dozen text or email fundraising pitches mentioning his role in the controversy, according to an analysis from the Washington Examiner.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, a former CIA analyst who is among the group of lawmakers facing a potential FBI interview over the video, had a similar message in a fundraising effort of her own.
In the message, Slotkin claimed such threats were “exactly why we made that video in the first place.”
“President Trump believes in weaponizing the federal government against his perceived enemies and does not believe laws apply to him or his Cabinet,” the appeal added.
The video clip, which featured Kelly and Slotkin, as well as Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Chris DeLuzio of Pennsylvania and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, immediately touched a nerve with the Trump administration, prompting the president to make violent comments about the lawmakers involved.
President Trump claimed the video amounted to “seditious behavior, punishable by death” and reshared a post that read, “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD.”
Those involved have defended their participation.
“I refuse to be intimidated out of defending the country I love,” Slotkin wrote on X.
The Michigan lawmaker has said her office faced a wave of death threats over the ongoing controversy.
In the video, the legislators, all former members of the military or intelligence community, claimed “threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home.”
