Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) admitted on Sunday that she could not identify a single illegal order issued by President Donald Trump, despite recently calling on U.S. military and intelligence personnel to disobey such commands. The comments were made during an interview with Martha Raddatz on ABC’s This Week, drawing renewed scrutiny as Trump serves his second term in office.
Slotkin appeared in a video alongside five other Democratic lawmakers warning service members to resist “illegal orders” from the president. When asked to provide an example, Slotkin responded, “To my knowledge, I am not aware of things that are illegal, but certainly there are some legal gymnastics.” The vague answer raised questions about the purpose and timing of the video campaign.
President Trump responded by labeling the message “seditious behavior” and accused the lawmakers of undermining the chain of command. Critics argue that Slotkin’s statement reflects political posturing rather than concern over any real threat. With Trump actively serving as commander-in-chief, the implications of suggesting military defiance are particularly serious and cannot be ignored.
Legal experts emphasize that military personnel are trained to refuse unlawful orders—but only when those orders are manifestly illegal. That threshold is high and typically requires clear violations of established law, not subjective political interpretation or partisan speculation.
The incident has intensified debate over the politicization of the armed forces and the potential consequences of elected officials encouraging doubt within the ranks. Slotkin’s failure to support her warning with evidence has only added to the controversy.
