Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has called on a group of six Democratic lawmakers to identify the specific orders they consider illegal, following a viral video in which the lawmakers urged U.S. military members to refuse “illegal orders.”
The lawmakers—Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) and Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.)—released the clip to raise concerns about constitutional threats at home and the role of the armed forces. They said: “You can refuse illegal orders.”
Graham, a former Air Force colonel, told reporters he has found no evidence of such unlawful directives from the Trump administration and issued letters asking the lawmakers to “provide clarity on what orders issued by the commander in chief or his chain of command you regard as illegal.”
The move shines a spotlight on tensions between elected officials and the military chain of command, raising questions about precedent, legality and political messaging in the armed forces.