Democratic lawmakers Allege Trump of ‘Harassment’ Tactic as FBI Requests Interviews
A group of Democrat politicians labeled by Donald Trump as involved in “seditious behavior” have claimed that the US leader is employing the FBI against them as a “instrument to pressure and threaten members of Congress.”
The group of four politicians, along with two others, had created a recorded message encouraging US military service members to resist illegal commands – a statement that angered Trump, who posted on social media that the individuals were “disloyal citizens” and thus might face imprisonment or even face the death penalty.
An announcement, released by US representatives Jason Crow, the Pennsylvania representatives, and Maggie Goodlander, confirmed that the FBI had reached out to the House and Senate sergeants at arms requesting discussions with them.
“Regardless of any pressure or threats will ever prevent us from fulfilling our duties and upholding the Constitution,” they stated, noting that they had each sworn an oath “to uphold and protect” the Constitution of the United States.
“That commitment is permanent, and we plan to honor it. We will not be bullied. We will never give up the ship,” they added.
The statement deepens a dispute between the Trump administration and Democratic leaders, such as Arizona senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly and the Michigan representative Elissa Slotkin, over the recorded appeal, which urged the military and intelligence services members to “refuse illegal orders.”
The Michigan lawmaker said the counter-terrorism unit of the FBI had notified the group that “they are opening what seems like an investigation targeting the six individuals” and described the action as a “intimidation strategy” by Trump.
“To be honest, the leader’s response and the deployment of the FBI to target us is exactly why we created the message,” she said.
“He supports utilizing the US government against his perceived adversaries, and he’s not afraid to use the government agencies against people he disagrees with. He fails to accept the rules govern his actions … which is exactly why we made the video, to offer reassurance that they had support as they observe these events develop.”
The US Department of Defense has also said it is conducting a review of misconduct allegations involving the senator that could, it indicated, lead to his return to military service to face court-martial proceedings.
