Executive Summary
- Senator Elissa Slotkin claims the FBI has opened a counterterrorism investigation against her and five other Democrats.
- The inquiry follows a video released by the lawmakers advising troops on their right to refuse illegal orders under the UCMJ.
- President Trump labeled the video “seditious,” though the White House later clarified his comments regarding potential punishments.
- Slotkin reports a surge in death threats and a bomb threat at her residence following the President’s remarks.
U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) stated on Tuesday that she has been notified of an open FBI counterterrorism investigation targeting her and five other Democratic lawmakers. The reported inquiry follows the release of a video by the group emphasizing that the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) permits military and intelligence personnel to refuse illegal orders. Senator Slotkin indicated that the notification of the investigation came after President Donald Trump publicly characterized the video as “seditious behavior.”
According to Senator Slotkin, she and her colleagues released the video in response to concerns from service members regarding potential domestic deployment or ambiguous operational orders. Following the video’s publication, President Trump took to social media, describing the lawmakers’ actions as seditious. While the President initially used rhetoric regarding capital punishment, the White House subsequently clarified that President Trump does not intend to execute members of Congress, but maintained that the video amounted to inciting troops to disobey presidential commands.
Senator Slotkin addressed the administration’s response on Tuesday, suggesting that the alleged FBI investigation validates the concerns that prompted the video. “He [President Trump] believes in using the federal government against his perceived adversaries, and he’s not afraid to use the arms of the government against people he disagrees with,” Slotkin said. She specifically referenced FBI Director Kash Patel, stating, “If he wants to use the FBI and Kash Patel against us, that is his choice. But it just reaffirms why we made this video in the first place.”
The Senator, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, explained that the group acted after being approached by veterans and active-duty personnel. These individuals reportedly expressed apprehension about being deployed to major U.S. cities or participating in classified strikes against alleged drug cartels based on legal justifications unavailable to the operators. Slotkin noted that the situation regarding strikes in the Caribbean and near South America involves a “secret list of groups” and classified legal explanations, complicating the chain of command for operators.
Since the President’s comments, Slotkin reported a significant increase in security threats against the lawmakers involved. “We saw an immediate and massive uptick in the number of death threats that we got,” Slotkin stated, citing a bomb threat at her family farm and harassment of her relatives. Despite these developments, Slotkin affirmed that the group remains committed to their position regarding the constitutional oath taken by service members.
Institutional & Security Implications
The alleged opening of a counterterrorism investigation into sitting members of Congress highlights a deepening conflict between the executive branch and legislative oversight regarding the control and conduct of the U.S. military. This development raises critical questions regarding the interpretation of the UCMJ in the context of domestic politics and the independence of federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI. Furthermore, the correlation between high-profile political rhetoric and subsequent security threats against officials underscores the volatility of the current security landscape for elected representatives. It is important to note that an investigation is an inquiry and not a finding of wrongdoing; all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
