President Donald Trump is once again trying to project strength — and instead prompting alarm from critics who say his latest online behavior shows an increasingly dangerous mindset and tone.
Over the weekend, Trump reposted an AI-generated image on Truth Social depicting himself as a towering, golden ruler seated on a throne, clad in battle armor and a crown. Below him, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Adam Schiff kneel at his feet in submissive poses. The image’s caption read: “NONE shall escape his justice!” followed by two crying-laughing emojis.
The fantasy image appeared in the middle of one of Trump’s angriest online streaks in recent weeks — a reaction to what began as a straightforward video message from six Democratic lawmakers.
In the video, Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, along with Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Jason Crow — all of whom served in the military or intelligence community before being elected to Congress — called on military and intelligence officials to “refuse illegal orders,” stressing that “No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our constitution.”
Trump responded with a barrage of posts accusing the lawmakers of criminal behavior and calling their message a direct threat to his authority.
“This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country,” he wrote. “Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???”
His followers quickly amplified the rhetoric. In one post Trump reshared, a supporter wrote, “Go get all those traitorous sons of b—-s for sedition at the very least. These pompous traitorous communists should be impeached and prosecuted.” Another repost claimed, “We can’t just laugh it off Conservative’s [sic]. We have to stop tolerating the DemSurrection. We really need to see some legal action against the Democrat Domestic Terrorist party.”
Critics, however, reacted with alarm — some going so far as to suggest Trump should be removed from office or even confined.
“He needs to be removed and I don’t care how at this point!!” one user wrote on Threads. Another said, “That’s pretty f***ing sick! He needs to be removed immediately! The military needs to step in! There has to be some adults left in the room!!!”
Others worried about his mental fitness. “He needs to be institutionalized. Period. He is a danger to everyone around him as well as to every citizen in the country,” one commenter argued.
Some responses mocked Trump’s self-styled strongman imagery. “He always makes himself look big and strong, when in reality he looks like Quasimodo on a bad day,” one person wrote. Commentator Michael Hoffman offered a more sober warning: “This isn’t going to end well for Donnie. The law is not on his side here.”
The backlash intensified when one of Trump’s posts was widely interpreted as implying that the lawmakers should face execution, prompting accusations that he was effectively calling for their deaths. The White House later denied that this was his intent, but Slotkin said the group had already begun receiving a “barrage” of threats.
By Saturday, Trump was still fixated on the issue, posting in all caps:
“MANY GREAT LEGAL SCHOLARS AGREE THAT THE DEMOCRAT TRAITORS THAT TOLD THE MILITARY TO DISOBEY MY ORDERS, AS PRESIDENT, HAVE COMMITTED A CRIME OF SERIOUS PROPORTION.”
The president’s rhetoric drew rebukes from members of his own party, who expressed concern over the implications of his language.
“If you take at face value the idea that calling your opponents traitors and then specifically saying that it warrants the death penalty is reckless, inappropriate, irresponsible,” Sen. Rand Paul said on “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “It’s not something that is helping the country heal wounds. I think it stirs things up, and really, I think we can do better.”
Texas Rep. Mike McCaul struck a similar tone on ABC’s “This Week.” “I would tone down the rhetoric and tone down the theme here,” he said. “I would emphasize more what I discussed, and that is, these orders are not illegal.”
Sens. Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis also criticized Trump’s recent posts. “Words carry a lot of weight,” Tillis said. “Kids are watching, and the president of the United States should always be thinking less about the adults you’re reacting to, to probably what was objectionable behavior by the Democrats, and the kids that are watching, too.”
The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the lawmakers’ remarks.
Trump has repeatedly shared images online that cast him as a monarch or near-mythic figure, including during last month’s nationwide “No Kings” protests, when nearly 7 million people across all 50 states rallied against what they described as his authoritarian impulses.
