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Did Donald trump say that members of congress should be executed
Executive summary
Multiple news outlets and congressional statements report that on Nov. 20, 2025 President Donald Trump posted or reposted messages calling Democratic lawmakers “traitors” and labeling their conduct “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” and that he shared replies urging their arrest, hanging, or execution; Democrats and other officials described this as the President calling for members of Congress to be executed [1] [2] [3]. The White House later said Trump did not want members of Congress executed when pressed at a briefing, while Democrats say the posts and reposts effectively amounted to death threats [1] [2] [3].
1. What exactly did Trump write or share?
Reporting shows Trump re-posted an article and a series of social-media replies and wrote in at least one post the phrase “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” and called the lawmakers “TRAITORS,” while also asking “LOCK THEM UP???” and re-sharing replies that used language like “HANG THEM” [4] [5] [1]. Fact-check summaries add that his post directly described the lawmakers’ conduct as “punishable by death,” and that he amplified others’ calls for executions [6] [4].
2. Which lawmakers were targeted and why this arose
The posts were in response to a short video by six Democratic lawmakers—many with military or intelligence backgrounds—urging service members to refuse unlawful orders. Trump and some allies characterized that video as “seditious” and reposted or amplified calls for punishment, including capital punishment, against those lawmakers [1] [7].
3. How did politicians and institutions react?
House and Senate Democratic leaders, individual members named in the reporting, and other Democratic officials condemned the posts as death threats and said they’d contacted Capitol security; Rep. Norma Torres, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Sen. Chris Coons and others issued statements rebuking Trump’s words as calls for execution [8] [3] [9] [10]. Some Republicans were reportedly silent, and the White House press secretary denied that the president wanted members of Congress executed when asked at a briefing [1] [2].
4. How outlets and fact-checkers framed the claim
Mainstream outlets (Reuters, ABC News, DW, Le Monde) and fact-checking coverage summarized the episode as Trump calling Democratic lawmakers “traitors” and saying their behavior was “punishable by death,” and noted he re-shared posts urging execution; some outlets used language such as “called for the execution” or “suggests executing” in headlines and ledes [1] [2] [4] [7] [11]. Snopes and other summaries underline that while the phrase “punishable by death” appeared in his posts, legal classification of the posts as criminal threats would be for law enforcement and courts to decide [6].
5. White House response and immediate clarifications
When asked whether Trump sought executions, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said “no” at a news briefing and defended criticism of the lawmakers for urging service members to defy orders; press statements attempted to walk back the interpretation that the president literally wanted executions while not disputing his posts’ content [1] [2] [7].
6. Disagreements, legal and rhetorical context
There is disagreement in framing: Democratic leaders and several outlets describe Trump’s posts as calling for executions and death threats [3] [8] [10], while the White House insists he did not want members of Congress executed and frames his remarks as condemnation of the lawmakers’ message to the military [1] [2]. Available sources do not provide a law-enforcement determination of whether the posts constitute criminal threats; fact-checkers note that such legal judgments would rest with authorities and courts [6].
7. What this matters for democracy and safety
Multiple lawmakers and commentators warned that presidential amplification of violent rhetoric risks inciting political violence and endangering the safety of the targeted members and their families, prompting some Democrats to contact U.S. Capitol Police for protection [1] [3]. Reporting and congressional statements characterize this rhetoric as “chilling” and historically notable given past episodes where similar language preceded violence [4] [1].
Conclusion — summary judgement based on available reporting: News organizations and congressional statements document that Trump posted or reposted language calling certain Democratic lawmakers’ conduct “punishable by death” and amplified calls to “hang” or execute them; the White House denies he meant to order executions, and legal authorities have not been cited in the available reporting as having reached a conclusion on criminality [1] [2] [3] [6].