Democrat Senator Chris Murphy criticized President Trump on Thursday after reacting to Trump’s Truth Social posts about a video released by six Democrat lawmakers.
The video featured Senators Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, along with Representatives Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Jason Crow of Colorado, Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania.
In the video, each lawmaker repeated statements such as, “You can refuse illegal orders,” or “You must refuse illegal orders.”
We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship. pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r [1]
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 18, 2025 [2]
No specific examples of unlawful directives were cited.
President Trump responded to the video on Truth Social on Thursday morning. “This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP??? President DJT,” he wrote.
In a separate post later that morning, he stated, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
Senator Murphy reacted [3] publicly to President Trump’s posts later in the day.
“The President of the United States just called for Democratic members of Congress to be executed. ‘HANG THEM’, he posted,” Murphy said.
He followed with a second statement: “If you’re a person of influence in this country and you haven’t picked a side, maybe now would be the time to pick a f**king side.”
NEW: A hyperventilating Democrat Senator Chris Murphy drops the F bomb while raging about President Trump’s recent Truth Social post.
Murphy fumed over Trump’s suggestion of the death penalty for Congress members who called on the U.S. military to refuse orders.
“Maybe it’s… pic.twitter.com/lGNXYBOR9D [4]
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 20, 2025 [5]
Following the circulation of the video, Senator Lindsey Graham sent a letter to the six Democrat lawmakers seeking clarification.
In the letter, reported by Fox News, Graham wrote, “I cannot find a single example of an illegal order during this administration, but as a Member of Congress, I believe you owe it to the country to be specific as to which orders you believe are unlawful.”
Graham continued by addressing the content of their message to service members and intelligence professionals.
“However, to say that I am disturbed by your video encouraging service members and Intelligence Community professionals to refuse ‘unlawful orders’ is an understatement,” he wrote.
Graham asked the lawmakers to identify which directives issued by President Trump or officials in his chain of command they consider illegal, stating, “In that regard, could you please provide clarity on what orders, issued by President Trump or those in his chain of command, you consider illegal?”
The video from the six Democrats continued circulating online throughout the day, prompting responses from lawmakers in both parties.
President Trump maintained his position in posts made Thursday morning, while Senator Murphy’s comments marked one of the strongest reactions from a Democrat in Congress.
Graham’s letter represented the first direct call from a Republican senator for the lawmakers to specify the basis for their statements in the video.