Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin (MI) appeared on ABC’s This Week Sunday and was pressed repeatedly by host Martha Raddatz — ultimately admitting she could not identify a single illegal order issued by President Donald Trump, despite joining a group of Democrats urging members of the military to refuse “illegal orders” from him.
Slotkin was part of a controversial video featuring six Democratic lawmakers, all with military or intelligence backgrounds, instructing U.S. servicemembers to ignore hypothetical unlawful commands from Trump. The message sparked outrage among conservatives, with President Trump calling it “sedition at the highest level.”
Raddatz asked Slotkin directly why she participated in the video. Slotkin claimed young officers were confused about what to do in hypothetical situations.
“We’ve had report after report of legal officers — JAG officers — coming forward and saying, ‘Look, I push back on this. I’m not sure that this is legal,’” she insisted. She said the video was intended as a “benign statement” reminding service members of their duty to refuse unlawful orders under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
But Raddatz refused to let her dodge the central point.
“Let’s talk right now: do you believe President Trump has issued any illegal orders?” the ABC host asked bluntly.
Slotkin’s answer immediately undercut the Democrats’ message:
“To my knowledge, I am not aware of things that are illegal,” she admitted.
Pressed on the issue, Slotkin offered vague complaints about “legal gymnastics” involving U.S. strikes on vessels tied to Venezuelan drug gangs — operations the military has conducted under Trump’s direction since early September. But she acknowledged nothing illegal had occurred.
Slotkin’s admission is significant given the provocative nature of the video she helped produce. Critics note Democrats are warning troops to disobey imaginary orders, not real ones — effectively sowing distrust of their own commander-in-chief and encouraging insubordination inside the ranks.
Since taking office in January 2025, Trump designated the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization and authorized military action against drug-running vessels linked to the cartel. U.S. forces have since carried out multiple strikes targeting these operations. Senate Democrats attempted to block Trump’s actions with a War Powers resolution, but the measure failed 51–49 on Nov. 13.
Trump has repeatedly accused Democrats of trying to undermine the military and sabotage national security for political gain. Slotkin’s televised walk-back appears to lend weight to his argument: Democrats are warning troops about “illegal orders” they cannot actually identify.
Despite the gravity of producing a video urging the military to potentially defy its commander-in-chief, Slotkin offered no examples, no evidence, and no justification beyond speculative “concerns.”
Her concession on national television makes clear that the Democratic video was not a response to real misconduct — but another political maneuver aimed at casting doubt on Trump’s leadership.
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