Six Democratic members of Congress — U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Jason Crow (D-CO), all of whom have served in the U.S. military or intelligence community — released a video this week urging active members of the military and intelligence community to refuse “illegal” orders.
As seen in the video (below), former CIA officer Slotkin addressed those currently active in the military and intelligence community. The Michigan Senator said: “We know you are under enormous stress and pressure right now.” Former Air Force officer Houlahan said, “Americans trust their military.” Former Navy officer Deluzio added, “But that trust is at risk.”
We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship. pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 18, 2025
Slotkin released another video today (see below), in which she recognizes that yesterday’s video got “a lot of people upset.” In the new solo video, she’s looking for transparency from Trump administration on its troop deployments in U.S. cities.
[Note: Saying people were upset, Slotkin is likely referencing White House officials including Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, who accused the lawmakers in the video of inciting an insurrection.]
In her new video, Slotkin said of the Trump administration, “They are trying to wield fear to get us to stop talking about this issue. They don’t want to be talking about the deployment of the military in our streets, the deployment of federal law enforcement in our streets. They don’t want to have that public conversation.”
The @SecWar and @Sec_Noem should agree to testify on domestic deployments. It is a fundamental issue to who we are as Americans. No matter where you land on the issue, transparency shouldn’t be seen as a threat. pic.twitter.com/H3SrQ31RlX
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 20, 2025
Slotkin suggests that Trump’s Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “sit side by side” and “do a public hearing” and explain to the American people why it is we need to deploy U.S. military and federal law enforcement to American cities.
She added that the two cabinet members “should agree to testify on domestic deployments” so “the American people can hear directly from them on the point of having U.S. military and U.S. law enforcement deployed to American cities.”
Slotkin added: “No matter where you land on the issue, transparency shouldn’t be seen as a threat.”
This is the law. Passed down from our Founding Fathers, to ensure our military upholds its oath to the Constitution — not a king. Given you’re directing much of a military policy, you should buff up on the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. https://t.co/X64Qnzb5br
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 19, 2025