A Democratic senator, along with five colleagues, who encouraged military members to reject “unlawful orders” from the Trump administration, reported Thursday that they are under constant protection after the president labeled them “traitors” and suggested their comments could lead to severe consequences.
Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) shared on MS NOW’s “All In with Chris Hayes” that law enforcement is now stationed outside her home, saying, “The Capitol Police came to us and said, ‘We’re going to protect you 24/7.'” She emphasized how quickly situations can change when there’s a call for protection. “And the climate of leadership is set by those at the top,” she noted, adding that if such harsh rhetoric is coming from the president, it’s not surprising if it incites even worse reactions from others.
In a brief video shared on Tuesday, Slotkin was joined by Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona, alongside Representatives Chris Delzio, Chrissy Houlahan, Maggie Goodlander, and Jason Crow, who all warned service members to reject unlawful orders.
In response, President Trump took to social media, stating, “Each and every traitor to our country must be arrested and brought to justice.” He further expressed concern about the state of the country, exclaiming, “We must set an example.”
He also declared in another post, “Sedition is punishable by death!” and shared supportive messages from his followers, including one that boldly stated, “George Washington would hang them!!”
Slotkin, elected to the Senate last year after serving in the House, acknowledged that while there are always “threats here and there,” the immediate backlash following Trump’s remarks was significant. “I mean, hundreds, if not thousands of calls, emails, text messages and obviously online postings at this point,” she explained to Hayes.
Slotkin, who has a background as a CIA analyst and has held roles in the State Department and the Pentagon during the Obama administration, is the only senator in the group without military experience. In contrast, Crow is an Army veteran honored with the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq, while Delzio and Kelly are Navy veterans, Houlahan served in the Air Force, and Goodlander dedicated 11 years as an intelligence officer in the Naval Reserve.
