Trump Says Democrats Must Die for Reminding Soldiers of Their Oath; Mike Johnson Says the Tone Was Harsh but the ‘Point’ Was Valid

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump declared Thursday that several Democratic veterans in Congress should be executed for reminding military service members not to follow illegal orders.

“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” Trump posted, apparently convinced that citing the Uniform Code of Military Justice is now an act of treason. He also reposted a Truth Social user calling to “hang them,” which Karoline Leavitt clarified wasn’t literal but rather “strongly phrased feedback.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson attempted to downplay the situation, as usual. While he noted that the “words the president chose are not the ones I would use,” Johnson clarified that Trump was merely “trying to make a point”—a point that, for reasons unknown, apparently requires threatening to kill sitting members of Congress.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, now surrounded by round-the-clock security, responded by saying, “We reminded the military that they have to obey the law. He responded with execution fantasies. I don’t know what ‘point’ that proves, unless the point is that he’s unstable.”

Capitol Police reported an immediate spike in threats following Trump’s posts, describing the situation as “volatile, escalating, and unfortunately par for the course here in 2025.”