Rep. Jason Crow said President Trump is trying to silence and intimidate him and his Democratic colleagues for posting a video telling military and intelligence personnel to defy orders they think are illegal.
The video that angered Mr. Trump was posted online by six Democratic lawmakers, all of whom had served in the military or the intelligence community.
“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” Mr. Trump said on social media.
On Friday, Mr. Crow, a Colorado Democrat who was an Army Ranger, said the president “is trying to silence dissent and opposition through fear and intimidation, and I don’t do that.
“I’m not somebody who will allow myself to be intimidated and to back away from my constitutional duty.”
When asked by reporters what the video’s message really was, because Republicans are accusing the six Democrats of conveying a confusing message to U.S. service members who will see the video and wonder whether the orders they’re following are lawful, Mr. Crow said they’re only “restating the law.”
“Well, it’s very telling that in Trump World, simply restating the law and constitutional obligations is somehow a crime or a controversy,” the congressman said. “I take great exception to the fact that actually doing the same thing that our service members are trained on every single day about rule of law, Geneva Conventions, lawful versus unlawful orders that we get in basic training, that commanders talk to their troops about all the time is somehow a problem.”
When pressed further about whether his and his colleagues’ message could be interpreted or misinterpreted as a wink-wink, nod-nod to defy legitimate orders, he responded, “That’s completely absurd. Simply telling people what their constitutional obligation is and what the law requires should no way be controversial.
“And not only is it right, but it is our duty. It is my duty as a member of Congress to remind service members, people in uniform law enforcement what the law requires.”
Mr. Crow did not specify any illegal order that his video group wants military members or intelligence personnel to disobey.
“That’s not the point,” he said, adding that he’s starting “a conversation about thinking about what [military members] need to do and what their obligations are.”
