(The Center Square) — Democratic New Hampshire Rep. Maggie Goodlander is being criticized for encouraging members of the U.S. armed forces to refuse to carry out “illegal orders” by the president and military leaders.
Goodlander, a former Navy intelligence officer, posted a video earlier this week with five other Democrat lawmakers encouraging military service members to defy orders from their superiors if they believe it violates the Constitution.
“Americans trust their military, but that trust is at risk,” Goodlander and other lawmakers said in the video, each reading a portion of the statement. “This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens. Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home. You must refuse illegal orders.”
The video features Goodlander and five other Senate and House Democrats who have served in the military or worked as intelligence officers, including Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan. It was posted as the Trump administration’s critics raise questions about the legality of his National Guard troop deployments to U.S. cities and deadly strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea.
But the video has prompted a backlash from President Donald Trump and other Republicans who accused the Democrats of inciting members of the military to “commit treason” against the U.S. government.
Trump seized on the video Thursday to claim the lawmakers involved were undermining the government, blasting them as “traitors” and suggested they be locked up and executed.
“This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” Trump posted on Truth Social. “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche suggested Wednesday the Justice Department should launch a probe into the remarks by the Democratic lawmakers.
“You had members of Congress, members of the Senate, encouraging members of our military and members of our intelligence committee community to go and defy orders,” he told Fox News. “This is abhorrent conduct.”
New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Jim MacEachern called on Goodlander to “immediately” retract her remarks and “apologize” to New Hampshire’s service members, veterans, and military families.
“Encouraging soldiers to ignore the lawful chain of command is dangerous, irresponsible, and undermines the very foundation of military service,” MacEachern said in a statement. “This is what happens when partisan activists get elected. Encouraging insubordination in the United States military because your party lost an election is embarrassing at a national level.”
“Maggie has set a dangerous precedent,” he added. “She should know better, and Granite Staters deserve better.”
