Slotkin responds to Trump’s threat to execute Democrats
Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin posted on social media on Nov. 20 in response to President Donald Trump’s call to censure Democrats with the death penalty for “sedition.”
U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin’s office announced that Michigan State Police responded to a bomb threat to her home on Nov. 21, a day after President Donald Trump called her and other Democrats traitors for a video message telling military personnel it was their right and duty not to disobey illegal orders.
A spokesperson for Slotkin, D-Mich., said in a message posted on social media platform X that the senator was not at his home in Holly, Michigan, at the time of the threat. The message said state police searched the premises and “determined no one was in danger.”
Mr. Slotkin’s office did not provide details about the threat or Mr. Slotkin’s whereabouts, and referred questions to Michigan State Police, which did not immediately respond to calls and emails from Freedom of the Press. “The U.S. Capitol Police will continue to investigate and hopefully hold those responsible accountable,” the social media message added.
On Thursday, Nov. 20, Slotkin received 24-hour protection from Capitol Police after President Trump accused him and five other congressional Democrats on his social media platform, Truth Social, of posting a video urging military personnel to disobey illegal orders.
President Trump called the message inflammatory and called the lawmakers who posted it traitors. He suggested they could be jailed and said in another post that sedition could be punishable by death.
White House press secretary Caroline Levitt said late on November 20 that while Trump had not called for the execution of any members of Congress, the message threatened the chain of command and “suggests that the president has given an illegal order, which he has not actually given.”
On November 21, President Trump appeared on Fox News Radio and reiterated that he is not proposing to execute anyone other than the Democratic congressman who made the video.
Slotkin said in an interview with NBC News on Nov. 20 that even though the video was posted X days ago, “the threat level went up a notch” after President Trump made the comments on social media. “So the change happened quickly,” she said. “We’ve had hundreds, almost 1,000 threats on our cell phones, on our emails, on all of our Senate systems.”
Although service members can be court-martialed for disobeying lawful orders, they are not required to follow orders that are clearly illegal, such as orders to commit a crime or violate military practice or the U.S. Constitution, and can be held legally liable for doing so.
Slotkin and his colleagues do not mention in the video any specific orders that may be illegal. But Slotkin, a former CIA official and acting assistant secretary of defense, and other critics of Trump have questioned his commitment to military personnel in securing America’s cities. They also question the government’s decision to destroy a suspected drug-trafficking vessel at sea without Congress’ express permission.
Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. X Follow him at @tsspangler.
