Democratic Lawmakers Receive Backlash After Advising Service Members They Could Refuse Illegal Orders - A video shared by six Democratic lawmakers who are veterans drew sharp criticism from President Donald Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth. The lawmakers advised service members they could refuse illegal orders from a president, prompting an onslaught of supportive calls to one of the lawmakers involved in the video.
The voicemails praising Rep. Chrissy Houlahan praised her stance on military personnel's right to question orders that seem wrong or unlawful. Several callers were not constituents but identified themselves as veterans who hailed from across the country, including Alaska and California. Others expressed gratitude for Houlahan's comments stating they are "right" and thanked the congresswoman for speaking up.
In response to the backlash, the White House stated Democrats had no evidence of any illegal orders being given by President Trump or the Pentagon when asked about such instances. Abigail Jackson said that because there have been none, it should deeply concern all Americans if elected Democrats are urging military personnel to defy lawful orders and subvert the will of the American people.
On Tuesday, Rep. Houlahan stated that the FBI reached out to the House and Senate sergeants-at-arms requesting interviews with lawmakers who appeared in the video. She accused President Trump of using the FBI as a tool to intimidate members of Congress. No amount of intimidation or harassment would stop her from doing her job and honoring the US Constitution, she said.
The six Democratic lawmakers featured in the viral video included Retired Navy combat pilot and astronaut Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz, who is under investigation by the Pentagon for his involvement in the clip. The most prominent lawmaker in the video had previously stated that the video was a "tenuous time" to be serving public officials.
The backlash against Houlahan and her colleagues has been intense, with some lawmakers receiving bomb threats at their offices since the release of the viral video. Despite this, several callers praised Houlahan for standing up for military personnel's rights.
The voicemails praising Rep. Chrissy Houlahan praised her stance on military personnel's right to question orders that seem wrong or unlawful. Several callers were not constituents but identified themselves as veterans who hailed from across the country, including Alaska and California. Others expressed gratitude for Houlahan's comments stating they are "right" and thanked the congresswoman for speaking up.
In response to the backlash, the White House stated Democrats had no evidence of any illegal orders being given by President Trump or the Pentagon when asked about such instances. Abigail Jackson said that because there have been none, it should deeply concern all Americans if elected Democrats are urging military personnel to defy lawful orders and subvert the will of the American people.
On Tuesday, Rep. Houlahan stated that the FBI reached out to the House and Senate sergeants-at-arms requesting interviews with lawmakers who appeared in the video. She accused President Trump of using the FBI as a tool to intimidate members of Congress. No amount of intimidation or harassment would stop her from doing her job and honoring the US Constitution, she said.
The six Democratic lawmakers featured in the viral video included Retired Navy combat pilot and astronaut Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz, who is under investigation by the Pentagon for his involvement in the clip. The most prominent lawmaker in the video had previously stated that the video was a "tenuous time" to be serving public officials.
The backlash against Houlahan and her colleagues has been intense, with some lawmakers receiving bomb threats at their offices since the release of the viral video. Despite this, several callers praised Houlahan for standing up for military personnel's rights.
. Remember when we used to have more open discussions about our military and the government? I mean, I'm not saying it was all sunshine and rainbows back then either, but it seems like now everyone's so jumpy about expressing their opinions 
. And what's with all these voicemails from veterans praising Rep. Houlahan for speaking up? It's cool that she's standing by her principles, I guess... back in my day, we'd rather just have a calm conversation about our differences 
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I think it's totally reasonable that Rep. Chrissy Houlahan is speaking out about service members having the right to question orders that seem wrong or unlawful. I mean, isn't that what we value in our democracy? Free speech and questioning authority? It's not like she's saying they should just blindly follow orders without any thought for the bigger picture.
But at the same time, I can see why President Trump and others would get upset - it does sound like a bit of an escalation. Still, if we're going to take a stand on principle, we should be willing to face some backlash.
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, but at the same time, I'm also super concerned that they're going to get hammered by the White House and Trump supporters 
. I mean, can't we just have a respectful conversation about military personnel's rights without it turning into a war? 
And what's with all these calls for Houlahan and her colleagues from non-veterans saying they're "right" on this issue? 
. So these lawmakers are saying that service members can refuse orders from the president if they seem wrong or unlawful? That's not how it works at all! I mean, think about it, what happens when a soldier has to make a tough call on the battlefield and someone tells them to do something that goes against their values? Are they just supposed to follow orders no matter what? It doesn't sit right with me.