- Trump demands arrest and trial of six Democrats over video.
- Lawmakers urged military and intelligence to refuse illegal orders.
- Trump calls their actions “seditious behavior” punishable by death.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump called for the arrest and trial of Sen. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, as well as Reps. Jason Crow, Chrissy Houlahan, Maggie Goodlander, and Chris Deluzio, following their release of a videotape encouraging US military labor force and intelligence officers to defy orders that would be illegal.
Schumer connected Trump's statements to other cases of political violence, similar as the assault on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
"Let's be crystal clear, the President of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials. This is an outright threat, and it's deadly serious,"
Schumer said on the Senate floor.
"We have already seen what happens when Donald Trump tells his followers that his political opponents are enemies of the state. ... When Donald Trump uses the language of execution and treason, some of his supporters may very well listen,"
he said.
Schumer urged the public and members of both parties to denounce the president's remarks "immediately and without qualification."
"Who would have thought the President of the United States saying his opponents should be hanged. It's outrageous. No president has ever stooped as low as Donald Trump. None! He has made political violence a feature of his politics, and if we don't draw a line here, there's no line left to draw,"
he said.
Trump crossed
"yet another line that no democracy can afford to tolerate,"
according to Schumer, who called for a coordinated reaction.
"He must be condemned forcefully, loudly and without excuses before someone takes his words as permission to do the unthinkable. Anything less enables the flames of hatred to grow and spread,"
Schumer stressed.
How has Congress responded to calls for violence against lawmakers?
Popular leaders similar as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Whip Katherine Clark, Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, and Senator Chuck Schumer issued strong, unified statements denouncing Trump's rhetoric as" disgusting,"" dangerous," and inciting political violence. They called on Trump to incontinently cancel his posts and for Republicans to condemn the pitfalls strongly.
Both parties recognize that political violence pitfalls are raising, with numerous lawgivers calling for bipartisan commination and critical measures to cover members of Congress. Congress has responded with sharp excoriations of pitfalls inciting violence, calls for responsibility for seditious rhetoric, and way to enhance the security and safety of lawgivers.
Some House Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, played down the rhetoric as not constituting incitement but conceded legal and security enterprises.