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Did Trump call 6 representatives and senators traitors
Executive summary
Multiple outlets report that President Donald Trump labeled six Democratic members of Congress “traitors,” called their actions “seditious behavior,” urged they be “arrested and put on trial,” and — in some posts he reshared or amplified — suggested the conduct was “punishable by DEATH,” prompting bipartisan concern and calls to condemn the language [1] [2]. The six lawmakers named in reporting are Senators Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly and Representatives Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan, who together posted a video urging service members to refuse illegal orders [1] [3].
1. What Trump said, and whom he named
Reporting shows Trump used Truth Social to call the lawmakers’ message “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL,” labeled them “traitors,” and wrote that “Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL,” while also reposting content saying “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” and “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!” [1] [4] [2]. News outlets list the lawmakers he targeted as Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly and Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan [1] [3].
2. The video that triggered the response
The six Democrats appear in a video addressing U.S. military and intelligence personnel that reminds them of their duty to the Constitution and says service members may refuse illegal orders; the video did not cite specific orders but was framed as a warning about using the military domestically and in foreign strikes [5] [1]. Reporters note the lawmakers who appeared are former military or intelligence veterans and characterized the video as urging troops to “refuse illegal orders” [1] [6].
3. How news organizations described the comments
Wire services and major outlets described Trump’s posts as calling the lawmakers “traitors” and as suggesting they could face execution, with Reuters writing he “assailed Democratic lawmakers … calling them traitors who could face execution” and other outlets saying he “suggested” or “called for” the death penalty [1] [7] [8]. Public broadcasters and national newspapers reproduced Trump’s exact language and noted his resharing of posts that explicitly invoked hanging [5] [4].
4. Political and institutional reactions
Democratic leaders condemned the remarks, with House Democratic leadership and committee Democrats publicly rebuking Trump and calling his language dangerous; House Judiciary Ranking Member Jamie Raskin issued a formal rebuke of the president’s calls for executing members of Congress [9] [10]. Some Republicans quoted in reporting distanced themselves from the phrasing — for example, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he did not agree with the language — while Speaker Mike Johnson characterized the president as “defining the crime of sedition” but said he would not have used those words [3].
5. Legal and constitutional context cited in reporting
News outlets noted uncertainty over whether the lawmakers’ statements could constitute prosecutable sedition; The Independent and others pointed out legislators enjoy broad immunity for official statements and that it was unclear what legal grounds would exist to prosecute the lawmakers for urging refusal of illegal orders [11]. Reporting also quotes legal and national-security voices warning about the dangers of inflammatory rhetoric toward elected officials and the potential to increase political violence [6] [5].
6. Competing framings in the sources
Left-leaning and mainstream outlets emphasize the severity of Trump’s rhetoric — calling for arrest, trial, or execution of elected officials — and stress Democratic outrage and security concerns [2] [5]. Some coverage includes the White House or allies asserting the president was “defining the crime of sedition” rather than explicitly calling for executions; NPR and BBC noted White House pushback that Trump was not “threatening death,” quoting administration statements or Republican officials attempting to reframe his intent [3] [10].
7. What the available reporting does and does not say
Available reporting consistently documents Trump’s public posts calling the six lawmakers “traitors” and sharing material that advocates execution or hanging, and it lists the six named senators and representatives [1] [4]. Available sources do not mention any subsequent legal charges against the lawmakers prompted by those posts, nor do they provide evidence in this reporting that Trump personally placed a criminal charge — they record statements, reposts, and political reactions [11] [2].
8. Bottom line for readers
Multiple reputable news outlets and congressional Democrats report that Trump publicly called six specific Democratic lawmakers “traitors” and amplified content saying their conduct was “punishable by death,” prompting bipartisan alarm and debate over rhetoric and legal boundaries; coverage also records efforts by some Republicans and the White House to downplay an intent to threaten execution [1] [2] [3]. Readers should weigh both the exact words reported and the competing characterizations offered by political actors when judging intent and potential consequences [5] [9].