Donald Trump hits out at ‘traitor’ Democrats in scathing rant and suggests chilling punishment is needed

Donald Trump has hit out at a group of Democratic lawmakers and accused them of 'seditious behaviour' after they posted a video aimed at military service members.

Six lawmakers from the party, including senators Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, as well as representatives Maggie Goodlander, Chris Deluzio, Chrissy Houlahan and Jason Crow, posted a video on Tuesday (November 18) urging service members from the US to refuse unlawful commands.

"Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this constitution," they said in the video. "And right now, the threats to our constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home. Our laws are clear, you can refuse illegal orders, you can refuse illegal orders, you must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our constitution."

Meanwhile, Crow said on Fox News: "We are standing by our troops, our service members who are often put in very difficult positions and Donald Trump has put them in very difficult positions and has alluded to putting them in even more difficult positions in the months and years ahead, so we are reminding folks about what the uniform code of military justice says, what the Constitution says, what the law of war says."

The group did not specify what illegal orders they should be concerned about.

The president reacted angrily to the comments and took to his Truth Social account to hit out at in a scathing rant.

Trump wrote: "It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. 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."

And in a follow-up post, the president added: "This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???"

The six lawmakers have since come out and responded to Trump's attack, stating no 'call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation'.

The White House has played down the Republican president's comments, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissing suggestions Trump was calling for the execution of Democrats in Congress.

"Many in this room want to talk about the president's response, but not what brought the president to responding in this way," she said.

"They are literally saying to 1.3 million active duty service members to defy the chain of command, not to follow lawful orders. It perhaps is punishable by law."