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Lawmakers from the Democratic party demonstrated outrage after the ex-president alleged a coalition of Democratic representatives of being "turncoats" and asserted they should be detained and penalized "through capital punishment" following their posting of a disputed video.

The Recording That Sparked the Controversy

The clip, released on Tuesday, showcases six Democratic lawmakers who previously worked in armed forces or intelligence positions.

"Like us, you all took an oath to safeguard and support this founding document," the representatives stated in the brief video. "And right now, the threats to our governing document don't only come from overseas, but from domestically. Our statutes are unambiguous, you can decline unlawful commands, you can decline improper directives, you should decline illegal orders. No one has to execute commands that break the law or our founding principles."

The Former President's Furious Reaction

The clip reportedly provoke a heated reaction from the former president.

On Thursday morning, Trump published on his preferred platform: "This constitutes SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these turncoats to our Nation should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL."

In an additional publication, he stated: "This is really bad, and Risky to our Nation. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???"

In a third message, he continued: "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, liable by DEATH!" He also shared a declaration that stated: "HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!"

Democratic Representatives React

Following Trump's comments on that day, Democratic leadership released a combined announcement censuring the remarks.

"Violent politics has no position in the United States," they wrote. "Representatives who were featured in the video all served our United States with exceptional patriotism and honor. We clearly condemn Donald Trump's appalling and risky death threats against elected officials, and call on Republican lawmakers to vigorously do the same."

The party representatives also mentioned that they had been in contact with law enforcement "to guarantee the safety of these members and their families."

"Donald Trump must right away remove these extreme social media posts and recant his dangerous language before he gets someone killed," the announcement stated.

Officials' Strong Answer

The officials who appeared in the video also published a response.

"We are veterans and defense specialists who care for this country and made an vow to protect and support the national charter of the United States," they stated. "This commitment lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. No warning, pressure, or call for violence will deter us from that fundamental responsibility."

"The significant point is that the ex-president considers it punishable by execution for us to repeat the statutes," they continued. "Military personnel should know that we have their backs as they execute their vow to the constitution and duty to follow only lawful orders. It is not only the correct thing to do, but also our obligation."

They added: "Every American must come together and condemn the president's demands for our murder and political violence. This is a time for ethical certainty."

More Political Responses

The Democratic Senate minority leader also denounced Trump's comments and published on social media: "We must be absolutely clear: the former president is calling for the execution of public representatives."

He continued: "This constitutes an direct THREAT. Every Senator, all representatives, the entire nation – irrespective of political affiliation – should censure this without delay and without qualification."

The GOP leader supported Trump's assertion that the Democrats had been involved in "treason", labeling the video as "extremely improper", adding: "This represents very risky, you have leading members of the government instructing soldiers to defy commands, I think that represents without precedent in US history."

The GOP official also reportedly stated to media outlets that in what he reviewed of Trump's publications, Trump was "defining the crime of sedition" but that "legal experts have to parse the wording and decide all that."

White House Statement

During a executive branch meeting on later that day, when inquired by a journalist, "Is the president want to execute members of Congress?", the executive branch representative responded: "Absolutely not."

"Let's be clear about what the president is addressing," the representative declared. "There are current representatives of the federal government who conspired to orchestrate a digital communication to individuals of the American armed forces, to active duty service members advising them to disobey the executive's proper directives."

She added: "The sanctity of our military relies on the hierarchy, and if that system is broken, it can lead to fatalities, it can lead to chaos, and that's what these members of Congress ... are fundamentally promoting."