Vance: Six Democrats Broke the Law by Urging Troops to Defy the President

Vice President Vance said six Democratic members of Congress violated the law by urging active-duty service members to refuse presidential orders unless those orders are unlawful. The lawmakers — Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly and Reps. Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, Chrissy Houlahan and Jason Crow — posted a video telling military and intelligence personnel they may refuse illegal commands. Donald Trump accused the group of "traitorous" conduct and alleged seditious behavior, while recent federal rulings have found some National Guard deployments exceeded legal authority under the Posse Comitatus Act. The episode underscores a broader legal and political debate over civilian use of the military and the limits of lawful orders.

09:36 AM, 11/24/2025Politics

Vance: Six Democrats Broke the Law by Urging Troops to Defy the President

Vice President Vance said Sunday that six Democratic lawmakers violated the law by urging service members to refuse presidential orders unless those orders are unlawful. Vance made the assertion on the social platform X, arguing that telling the military to disobey the president is illegal if no illegal order has been issued.

“If the president hasn’t issued illegal orders, then members of Congress telling the military to defy the president is by definition illegal,” Vance wrote.

The comment came after a video posted earlier in the week in which Democratic Sens. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Mark Kelly (Ariz.), and Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) and Jason Crow (Colo.) addressed active-duty military and intelligence personnel. In the clip, the lawmakers — each with military or intelligence experience — said, “Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders.”

Donald Trump responded on his social platform by calling the lawmakers “traitors” and later accused them of what he labeled “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” He also said the lawmakers “SHOULD BE IN JAIL RIGHT NOW.”

Vance’s remarks were made as Sens. Slotkin and Kelly and the House members sought to emphasize legal protections for service members who receive unlawful commands. Slotkin told ABC’s "This Week" that she was "not aware" of any illegal military actions authorized by Mr. Trump.

Legal context

The dispute comes amid renewed debate over the use of the military in domestic settings. Since returning to office in January, Mr. Trump has deployed or sought to deploy National Guard units to Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Memphis and other cities, citing public-safety concerns and protests over immigration enforcement.

Under the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, the U.S. military is generally prohibited from performing civilian law-enforcement functions. Federal judges have recently found limits to the president’s authority: one ruling in September concluded that deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles violated the statute, and another judge ruled earlier this week that a deployment to the nation’s capital exceeded executive authority.

The exchange highlights a tense legal and political debate over when lawmakers may advise service members about refusing orders and when such advice could itself cross legal boundaries. The matter is likely to continue drawing scrutiny as courts and the public evaluate where constitutional, statutory and military rules intersect.