(NewsNation) — A group of Congressional Democrats this week urged U.S. service members and intelligence professionals to defy “illegal” orders — a message that has raised questions about what the minority party may be trying to accomplish.
Tuesday’s online message came from six Democratic representatives and senators who served in a military branch or in U.S. intelligence. They said the Trump administration is trying to pit these two sectors against American citizens. Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, a Navy veteran, says, “You must refuse illegal orders,” with Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, a former CIA analyst, telling military and intelligence professionals, “Know that we have your back.”
The video also features Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania. It does not address specific concerns but comes as Trump, a Republican, has built up U.S. military forces in the Caribbean amid growing tensions with Venezuela and as the Pentagon has conducted controversial lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the region.
The Trump administration has also advocated the use of troops in Democrat-controlled cities where federal immigration enforcement has been challenged or where the president says crime is out of control.
Trump has said ‘nefarious things’: Rep. Jason Crow
Crow, joining “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” on Wednesday, pushed back on criticisms that Democrats are encouraging troops to mutiny against the commander-in-chief. The combat veteran cited reports that Trump in 2020 had mused to advisers about having soldiers shoot protesters in the legs, which he conceded wasn’t an outright order.
“This president has a long history of saying nefarious and dubious things,” he said. “But you don’t ever wait until an order is actually given to train people and tell them what their obligations are. You train them before.”
Pressed about whether Trump has given any illegal orders, Crow said, “We’re not talking about specific orders.”
Retired Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, formerly supreme allied commander Europe, said the Trump administration has not crossed a line. But he said the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War set a precedent that bars service members from evading responsibility for war crimes by saying they simply were following orders.
“As a combatant, as a military officer, you are not obligated — not obligated — to carry out an illegal or an immoral order,” Breedlove told “On Balance” this week. “You simply refuse the order.”
He also noted that individuals take an oath to the Constitution, not to the president or Congress.
Ex-CIA officer sees problems with Dem message on ‘illegal’ orders
Former CIA officer Tracy Walder, a NewsNation national security contributor, suggested there could be a slippery slope for professionals in the intelligence field who act on what they say is their conscience.
“I worked at CIA under two different presidents — one I voted for, and one I didn’t. And it really didn’t matter,” she said.
She said she doubts Slotkin’s assurances that Congress will back up defiant professionals.
“They can’t possibly guarantee that, and you are putting these workers in a very difficult situation to possibly lose their livelihoods or be prosecuted, and that really rubs me the wrong way,” Walder said.