“DEATH-PENALTY for Congress? President Trump’s chilling threat shocks Washington – and the Speaker tries to sweep it under the rug”
Ben Cable (Originally Posted on Substack Nov 20, 2025)
Citizen Ben — Investigative commentary from your democracy watchdog
In a jaw-dropping, democracy-shattering moment, President Donald Trump declared that a group of Democratic lawmakers’ actions were “seditious behavior, punishable by DEATH!” And when pressed, House Speaker Mike Johnson responded with tepid non-critique that the President was merely “defining a crime.” Let’s be clear — this is not acceptable from a sitting president of the United States.
What happened
- A video released by six Democratic congressional veterans — including Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly — urged U.S. military and intelligence personnel to remember their oath to the Constitution and refuse illegal orders.Trump responded on his social media platform (Truth Social) with the posts:
“Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???”
And then, horrifyingly:
“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
- In the face of mounting criticism, Speaker Johnson shrugged off the death penalty language, telling reporters that the President was “defining a crime” and emphasising the video from the Democrats was “wildly inappropriate.”
- Democratic leaders cried foul, calling Trump’s language “disgusting and dangerous death threats against Members of Congress” and urged the President to delete his posts before someone gets killed.
Why this matters — and why it’s unacceptable
1. Threatening elected officials
A sitting president accusing lawmakers of “traitorous” activity and demanding the death penalty is not merely political theatre — it strikes at the heart of democratic norms. Labeling opposition voices as enemies of the state invites violence and erodes the legitimacy of dissent.
2. Undermining civil-military norms
The targeted lawmakers urged service members to refuse unlawful orders. That is well-grounded in military code: troops are required to obey lawful orders and may refuse illegal ones. By calling that message “punishable by death,” the President is effectively telling the military the only lawful order is unquestioning obedience to him — a chilling shift.
3. Political violence creeping in
Experts warn that such rhetoric increases the risk of political violence. Republican Senator Rand Paul warned that calls to hang or punish “traitors” may inspire unstable actors. When the President of the United States uses execution rhetoric toward his opponents, we’re no longer talking about heated politics — we’re talking about weaponised language.
4. Complicity by leadership
Speaker Johnson’s refusal to condemn the threat is deeply troubling in itself. By treating the President’s words as a mere “definition” of crime while condemning the lawmakers’ video, Johnson signals: “Yes the President can threaten death, but we’ll only blame the others.” That sets a dangerous precedent.
Citizen Ben’s verdict
This moment isn’t just another news cycle headline — it’s a red alarm for American democracy. A President does not threaten the death penalty against members of Congress for exercising free speech and reminding our military of their oath. A Speaker does not respond by shrugging and blaming the victims instead of the aggressor.
We are witnessing an erosion of guardrails. The vocabulary of treason, of punishment, of death — once reserved for the most extreme cases — is becoming everyday rhetoric from America’s highest office. That’s not “political muscle,” it’s authoritarian muscle. And make no mistake — the boundary being crossed today may leave no boundary for tomorrow.
What to do
As Citizen Ben, here are actions you can take:
- Hold your representatives accountable — call or write your member of Congress and demand they explicitly condemn presidential threats of violence and defend democratic norms.
- Demand transparency and media follow-up — this deserves in-depth reporting, hearings, and a national reckoning, not just social-media outrage.
- Support independent watchdogs — organisations that monitor threats to democracy, the military-civil relationship, and presidential abuses.
- Encourage civic literacy — share with your networks how this isn’t a partisan skirmish; it’s about whether dissent is punishable by death.
In the land of the free, elected members of Congress should not get death threats from the President for doing democracy work. The Speaker’s silence is not neutral — it’s complicity.
We must say clearly: this is unacceptable. We must stand up now, not later, because if the warning signs are this stark already, imagine how much worse it could get.
Stay vigilant. Stay loud. Democracy demands it.
— Citizen Ben
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