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Lawmakers from the Democratic party voiced fury after the ex-president alleged a contingent of Democratic representatives of being "betrayers" and stated they should be detained and sentenced "by death" following their release of a disputed video.

The Message That Sparked the Controversy

The recorded message, shared on Tuesday, includes six Democratic lawmakers who formerly acted in military or intelligence roles.

"Similar to us, you all swore an pledge to defend and support this constitution," the lawmakers declared in the short video. "Currently, the threats to our constitution are not only from abroad, but from within our own country. Our laws are unambiguous, you can reject improper directives, you can decline illegal orders, you must reject illegal orders. No one has to follow directives that break the legal system or our founding principles."

The Former President's Angry Response

The clip seemed to prompt a heated reply from the ex-president.

On later in the week, Trump published on his social media platform: "This represents SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these betrayers to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL."

In an additional post, he wrote: "This is really concerning, and Harmful to our Nation. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???"

In a third post, he continued: "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!" He also redistributed a declaration that stated: "HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!"

Party Leaders Answer

Following Trump's statements on that day, Top Democrats published a joint declaration condemning the statements.

"Violent politics has no place in this nation," they wrote. "Elected officials who participated in the video all acted our nation with exceptional loyalty and honor. We strongly condemn Donald Trump's disgusting and risky calls for execution against members of Congress, and urge Republican lawmakers to forcefully do the same."

The opposition officials also mentioned that they had been in touch with security officials "to guarantee the protection of these members and their families."

"Donald Trump must immediately remove these extreme online messages and recant his aggressive discourse before he causes harm," the statement stated.

Lawmakers' Strong Response

The officials who were featured in the video also published a statement.

"We are veterans and national security professionals who value this nation and took an pledge to safeguard and defend the founding document of the United States," they stated. "That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will prevent us from that fundamental duty."

"The most revealing aspect is that the ex-president deems it liable to punishment by capital punishment for us to restate the legal requirements," they added. "Our service members should know that we have their backs as they fulfill their pledge to the constitution and responsibility to adhere to only proper directives. It is not only the correct thing to do, but also our duty."

They added: "All citizens must come together and censure the ex-president's calls for our execution and partisan aggression. This is a time for moral clarity."

More Partisan Responses

The Senate Democratic leader also condemned Trump's remarks and published on social media: "We must be absolutely clear: the President of the United States is calling for the capital punishment of government members."

He continued: "This constitutes an clear THREAT. Each congressional member, all representatives, the entire nation – irrespective of political affiliation – should denounce this without delay and absolutely."

The Republican House speaker supported Trump's claim that the Democrats had participated in "sedition", characterizing the video as "wildly inappropriate", adding: "It is very harmful, you have important representatives of the legislature telling troops to disobey orders, I think that is unprecedented in the nation's past."

The Republican leader also according to sources informed media outlets that in what he reviewed of Trump's posts, Trump was "describing the crime of rebellion" but that "lawyers have to analyze the language and determine all that."

White House Response

During a executive branch meeting on that day, when questioned by a journalist, "Is the president want to execute members of Congress?", the administration spokesperson answered: "Absolutely not."

"It's important to note about what the ex-commander in chief is responding to," the official stated. "There are current representatives of the American legislature who worked together to orchestrate a recorded statement to personnel of the American armed forces, to current military personnel encouraging them to defy the president's legal commands."

She added: "The sanctity of our armed forces relies on the hierarchy, and if that chain of command is violated, it can lead to casualties, it can result in disorder, and that's what these members of Congress ... are basically promoting."