House Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday defended Donald Trump after the US President sparked a fresh political slugfest, saying a group of Democratic lawmakers should be put on trial — and suggested they should even face the death penalty.
Trump made the remark after they released a video telling government employees to refrain from following orders that broke the law.
“It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL,” Trump said in a social media post.
“Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand – We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET,” he added.
“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!,” said Trump, in another post.
However, defending Trump, Mike Johnson said it was the Democrats who were acting “wildly inappropriate” by suggesting that military members should disobey unlawful orders from Trump.
According to Johnson, by post ‘SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH’,, Trump was simply ‘defining the crime of sedition’, reported Politico.
Meanwhile, the White House said that US President does not want to execute members of Congress
“No,” said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt when asked at a briefing about Trump’s remarks calling the Democratic lawmakers traitors who should face execution.
Top Democrats in Congress said Trump’s words could incite violence.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, spoke about the posts on the Senate floor and said that the president of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials. “This is an outright threat, and it’s deadly serious.”
“When Donald Trump uses the language of execution and treason, some of his supporters may very well listen,” Schumer added. “He is lighting a match in a country soaked with political gasoline.”
Senator Chris Murphy said that the president’s posts “puts all of our lives in jeopardy.”
“This is perhaps the most reckless, irresponsible thing that he has done all Congress, and it’s going to get a lot of us killed,” NBC quoted Murphy as saying.