Senator Mark Kelly is urgently asking Republican members of Congress to publicly reject President Donald Trump’s recent death threats against him and five other Democratic lawmakers. Senator Kelly didn’t hide his frustration, especially about his Republican colleagues staying silent. This controversy started after the six Democrats released a video on X earlier in the week.
According to The Guardian, all six of them have long backgrounds in military or intelligence service. The video was aimed at active-duty military and intelligence workers, and it sent a very clear message: “Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders.” This is a powerful statement, especially since Senator Kelly served in the Navy for 25 years.
President Trump reacted quickly and strongly on Truth Social on Thursday. He wrote that the lawmakers should be arrested and tried for what he called “seditious behavior.” But he didn’t stop there. In a scary follow-up post, the president said, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” He even reposted a message from another user that said, “HANG THEM, GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD!” That kind of talk is truly alarming, and it’s terrible for the political climate when death threats are involved.
Republicans stay silent while dangerous rhetoric escalates
Kelly pointed out what he sees as a clear double standard in Washington. “We’ve heard very little, basically crickets, from Republicans in the United States Congress about what the president has said about hanging members of Congress,” he said.
He noted that President Trump and Republican lawmakers had previously demanded that Democrats tone down their language after the fatal September shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kelly basically asked, “What happened to that?” It’s a completely fair question. You can’t ask for political civility and then ignore calls for execution just because they come from your own party.
Two months ago Trump and Republicans were saying we need to dial back the rhetoric. Now the President himself suggests members of Congress should be hanged, and it’s crickets. pic.twitter.com/xEgbksze2V
— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) November 23, 2025
The Arizona senator stressed that the president’s words carry serious weight. He explained that President Trump’s language carries “tremendous weight, more so than anybody else in the country, and he should be aware of that.” This isn’t the first time concerns have been raised about Trump’s stance on controversial figures and platforms. Unfortunately, this talk has real-world consequences. Kelly said that “there is now increased threats against us” because of the accusations the president is making.
Kelly insisted that President Trump is “trying to intimidate us,” but he made it clear that he will not be scared off. “I’m not going to be intimidated,” he stressed.
— Joshua Hall (@JoshHall2024) November 23, 2025
BREAKING: Democrat Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan are officially under FEDERAL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION for SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY AND INCITEMENT OF INSURRECTION related to their recent video commanding members of the military to disobey orders… pic.twitter.com/b4gp8MslAy
Other top Democrats have also condemned the president’s posts. Senator Amy Klobuchar called the posts “dangerous.” She reacted strongly to the idea of execution, saying, “What is dangerous is the president of the United States threatening these members of Congress with death. Literally, saying that they should be executed.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic whip Katherine Clark, and Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar put out a joint statement responding to the threats. They were united in their condemnation, stressing that “political violence has no place in America.”
We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 18, 2025
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship. pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r
While Democrats are united in defending the lawmakers, the administration has offered a different argument. Vice President JD Vance weighed in on Sunday, posting on X that the lawmakers’ video might actually be the illegal act.
Vance argued that if President Trump hasn’t given illegal orders, then members of Congress who tell the military to defy the president are, “by definition illegal.” That shows the administration is pushing back hard on the idea that military personnel should question the president’s authority. Meanwhile, Trump’s shifting stance on National Guard deployment has shown how quickly his positions can change after direct conversations with lawmakers.
