AOC encourages soldiers to defy unlawful commands following Trump’s warning about Iran

Ocasio-Cortez Urges Military to Refuse “Illegal Orders”

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called on U.S. military personnel to reject unlawful commands on Tuesday, following President Donald Trump’s alarming threat to “wipe out civilization” in Iran.

In response to Trump’s post on Truth Social, Ocasio-Cortez declared, “The President’s mental capacity is broken and cannot be trusted.” She added, “To everyone in the President’s chain of command: You have a duty to refuse unlawful orders, and that includes carrying out this threat.”

Trump seems to have implied a readiness to target Iran’s civilian infrastructure to push the country to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, setting a deadline of 8 p.m. ET for compliance.

Ocasio-Cortez’s statements come amid increasing calls from the left side of the Democratic party for Trump’s impeachment, though such an initiative faces significant hurdles in the Republican-controlled House. Additionally, some Democrats are urging the Cabinet to enact the 25th Amendment to remove Trump, yet this appears highly unlikely.

Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent voice among progressive lawmakers, aligned herself with fellow Democrats advocating for Trump’s removal.

Interestingly, House Democratic leadership refrained from demanding Trump’s resignation in their Tuesday announcement. Instead, they called on House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) to reconvene Congress and vote on a war powers resolution aimed at limiting further military actions by Trump, as the House is currently in recess until the week of April 13th.

A group led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries emphasized, “It is time for House Republicans to put patriotic duty above party loyalty and work with Democrats to stop this insanity.”

The White House responded sharply to the Democrats’ remarks, with Press Secretary Davis Engle stating, “This is pathetic. Democrats have been talking about impeaching President Trump since before he was sworn into office. They are deranged, weak, and powerless. It’s no wonder their approval ratings are at historic lows.”

Ocasio-Cortez’s call for military officials comes after the Justice Department investigated six Democratic Congress members who appeared in a video encouraging military and intelligence personnel to defy “illegal” orders. Those members included Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), as well as Representatives Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Maggie Goodlander (D-Calif.), Chrissy Hoolahan (D-Penn.), and Chris Deluzio.

A grand jury in Washington, D.C., opted not to indict these lawmakers back in February, following a setback for U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

Earlier this week, Mr. Kerry warned Trump against striking Iran’s non-military facilities, asserting on social media, “An illegal order that causes suffering to civilians will be a stain on our military and our country.”