A group of Democratic lawmakers who appeared in a video telling service members they can refuse orders they believe are illegal will be interviewed with the assistance of the U.S. Capitol Police at the direction of the FBI and Department of Justice, according to a report from Fox News.
The group includes Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Representatives Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan, New Hampshire Representative Maggie Goodlander, and Colorado Representative Jason Crow.
In a video released last week, the lawmakers said in part, “Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders.”
President Donald Trump responded by demanding the lawmakers’ arrests and accusing them of “seditious” behavior.
“THE TRAITORS THAT TOLD THE MILITARY TO DISOBEY MY ORDERS SHOULD BE IN JAIL RIGHT NOW, NOT ROAMING THE FAKE NEWS NETWORKS TRYING TO EXPLAIN THAT WHAT THEY SAID WAS OK,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Saturday.
The U.S. Capitol Police referred questions to the FBI, which declined to comment when Newsweek reached out on Tuesday morning. The DOJ has not yet issued a public statement.
Why It’s Significant
The reported interviews would mark an escalation in how the Trump administration is responding to the lawmakers’ video, after both the president and top officials criticized it as seditious. The Democrats involved — all of whom have military or intelligence experience — say their message was intended to remind those still serving that they are bound by the Constitution and U.S. law.
What We Know So Far
According to Fox News, the FBI and DOJ contacted the U.S. Capitol Police for help in arranging interviews with the six members of Congress.
Investigations involving lawmakers are not rare, but they are more commonly tied to allegations such as misuse of campaign funds or other corruption-related issues, rather than statements made in public. Interviews can be part of broader inquiries, and there are established rules and approval processes that officials are expected to follow.
The reported development came shortly after the Department of Defense announced on Monday that it had opened an investigation into Kelly, who is the only one of the six still under the Pentagon’s jurisdiction. The DOD said it was examining whether Kelly violated military law by urging service members not to follow certain orders.
Kelly, a former Navy fighter pilot and NASA astronaut, retired with the rank of captain. It is highly unusual for the Pentagon — historically cautious about engaging in overtly partisan disputes prior to the second Trump administration — to signal potential legal action against a sitting member of Congress.
In its statement, the DOD suggested that Kelly’s remarks could have affected the “loyalty, morale, or good order and discipline of the armed forces,” referencing a federal law that prohibits attempts to undermine those standards.
The other five lawmakers have also previously served the United States in military or national security roles. They have used that background to speak directly to people still working under the Trump administration’s DOD and DOJ. In doing so, they drew sharp criticism from Trump and senior officials, who accused them of encouraging disorder among personnel charged with carrying out the commander-in-chief’s orders.
Five of the six lawmakers received bomb threats at the end of last week, but the group has said they stand by their message.
Key Reactions
Senator Elissa Slotkin wrote on X on Tuesday:
“The President directing the FBI to target us is exactly why we made this video in the first place. He believes in weaponizing the federal government against his perceived enemies and does not believe laws apply to him or his Cabinet. He uses legal harassment as an intimidation tactic to scare people out of speaking up. This isn’t just about a video. This is not the America I know, and I’m not going to let this next step from the FBI stop me from speaking up for my country and our Constitution.”
Senator Mark Kelly posted on X on Monday evening:
“Donald Trump can try to intimidate me, but it’s not going to work. My job is to defend the Constitution and hold any president accountable.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on X on Monday:
“The video made by the ‘Seditious Six’ was despicable, reckless, and false. Encouraging our warriors to ignore the orders of their Commanders undermines every aspect of ‘good order and discipline.’ Their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion — which only puts our warriors in danger.”
The Department of Defense also posted on X on Monday:
“All servicemembers are reminded that they have a legal obligation under the UCMJ to obey lawful orders and that orders are presumed to be lawful. A servicemember’s personal philosophy does not justify or excuse the disobedience of an otherwise lawful order.”
What Comes Next
An official public announcement from the DOJ or FBI regarding the reported interviews has not yet been made.
