Six Democrats and One Trump Equal Trump Exhaustion Syndrome

Debra Saunders on Nov 23, 2025

WASHINGTON --Six elected beltway Democrats with backgrounds in the military or intelligence are stirring the pot with a video in which they tell viewers, "This administration is pitting our uniform military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens."

Then they tell the troops and spooks, in the words of one of the six, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, "Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders."

Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Penn., went further when he added, "You must refuse illegal orders."

Scary. There has been far too much political violence in this country over the last half-decade. I refer to -- short-list version here -- the 2020 riots that followed George Floyd's death at the hands of police, the Jan. 6, 2021, violent stampede through the Capitol as supporters protested now-President Donald Trump's 2020 loss, two failed assassination attempts on Trump, the firebombing of the residence of Pennsylvania's Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, and the senseless slaying of conservative Charlie Kirk.

Rather than calling for a calming of the waters, however, the six Democrats are turning up the gas burners.

With a wink and an assist from social media, their campaign tells U.S. troops and spooks that they don't have to heed Trump's commands.

The 2025 Democrat idea of national security: rules optional.

"The truly troubling part of the video is no illegal order is mentioned. Instead, there are just implications and fabrications. It's also concerning that these elected officials don't understand that ALL military actions are scrubbed by Judge Advocates at the highest levels," former U.S. attorney and Newsmax legal analyst Jay Town responded on X.

"So what is said in the video is literally nothing. However, what they imply is license for uninformed service members to question orders without any fulsome understanding of the law or the facts supporting the orders. That's incredibly dangerous and could lead to courts martial of those who disobey what are LAWFUL ORDERS!"

"If this were Republican members of Congress who were encouraging members of the military and members of our United States government to defy orders from the president and from the chain of command, this entire room would be up in arms," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the briefing room Thursday. "But instead it is the other way around, and I think that's quite telling."

It is quite telling. The worst part: The six Dems won't say which "illegal orders" they think troops should feel free to disobey or why in the wide world they felt a need to act now.

So the video is an empty stunt.

"I think they're trying to get inside Trump's head," Democrat politico and commentator Dan Turrentine offered on 2WAY's "The Morning Meeting" Friday morning.

The gambit succeeded spectacularly -- and painfully for many of us -- when Trump took to social media to vent. "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR punishable by DEATH!" the commander in chief responded on Truth Social.

Later, Leavitt assured the press that Trump does not propose killing D.C. Democrats.

As Trump's first year back in office comes to a close, his unpresidential, over-the-top rants are getting old. These empty puerile threats diminish his considerable accomplishments, and, well, hurt Trump's chances of winning a Nobel Peace Prize.

"I'm not threatening death, but I think they are in serious trouble," Trump told "The Brian Kilmeade Radio Show" Friday. "In the old days, it was death."

You've heard of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Here's another term: Trump Exhaustion Syndrome.

A rump of Democrats decided to bring on an episode of said syndrome -- and they don't care what they do to national security to score that little point.

Contact Review-Journal Washington columnist Debra J. Saunders at dsaunders@reviewjournal.com. Follow @debrajsaunders on X.

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