The Justice Department has asked to interview Rep. Jason Crow about a November 90-second video that urged service members and intelligence personnel to "refuse illegal orders." The U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C., led by Jeanine Pirro, and the FBI have sought interviews with Crow and other participants, whom President Trump called "seditious." Separately, the Pentagon opened a review into Sen. Mark Kelly's retired grade, prompting Kelly to sue the Defense Department alleging retaliation and First Amendment violations.
DOJ Seeks Interview With Rep. Jason Crow Over Video Urging Troops To "Refuse Illegal Orders"
Rep. Jason Crow on
Washington — The Justice Department has asked to interview Democratic Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) about a 90-second video released in November in which Crow and five other lawmakers — all with military or intelligence backgrounds — urged U.S. service members and intelligence personnel to "refuse illegal orders." The request came from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, led by Jeanine Pirro, and marks a new escalation in tensions between the Trump administration and its Democratic critics.
Crow, a former Army Ranger, condemned the outreach as political pressure. "Donald Trump called for my arrest, prosecution, and execution — all because I said something he didn't like. Now he's pressuring his political appointees to harass me for daring to speak up and hold him accountable," Crow said in a statement. He told reporters on Capitol Hill that the administration is "weaponizing the Justice Department to try to silence their political opponents and suppress dissent."
The 90-second clip, directed at members of the military and the intelligence community, explicitly urged personnel to recognize and refuse unlawful orders. President Trump swiftly denounced the lawmakers who appeared in the video, calling their message "seditious behavior" and saying it merited severe punishment, language that further intensified the dispute.
The FBI also reached out to the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms seeking interviews with Crow and other participants. Lawmakers who appeared in the video include Sens. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Mark Kelly (Ariz.), and Reps. Chris Deluzio (Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (N.H.) and Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.). Slotkin, who organized the video, confirmed that Pirro requested an interview and accused the president of treating dissent as an enemy.
"To be clear: this is the president's playbook. Truth doesn't matter. Facts don't matter. And anyone who disagrees with him becomes an enemy and he then weaponizes the federal government against them," Slotkin said in a social media statement.
Separately, the Pentagon opened a review into allegations of misconduct involving Sen. Mark Kelly. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Defense Department had "initiated retirement grade determination proceedings" that could result in a reduced retired grade and corresponding decrease in retired pay, and said he had issued a formal letter censuring Kelly for what he described as "reckless misconduct." Kelly filed a civil lawsuit seeking to block the proceedings, arguing the actions amount to retaliation and violate his First Amendment rights.
These developments — DOJ and FBI inquiries, forceful public denunciations, and a Pentagon review accompanied by litigation — underscore escalating institutional tensions and raise complex questions about political speech, military duty, and executive authority.
Help us improve.
