Democratic lawmakers Accuse Trump of ‘Intimidation’ Campaign as FBI Requests Interviews
A group of Democrat politicians labeled by Donald Trump as involved in “seditious behavior” have claimed that the president is employing the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) against them as a “instrument to pressure and threaten members of Congress.”
The four politicians, together with two others, had produced a video urging US military service members to resist illegal commands – a statement that angered Trump, who posted on social media that the group were “disloyal citizens” and thus might face imprisonment or even be subject to capital punishment.
An announcement, released by congressional lawmakers Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan, and Maggie Goodlander, verified that the FBI had contacted the Congressional security officials seeking interviews with them.
“No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our constitution,” they stated, adding that they had each sworn an oath “to uphold and protect” the US constitution.
“That commitment is permanent, and we intend to keep it. We will not be bullied. We will never give up the ship,” they continued.
The statement deepens a conflict between the Trump administration and Democrats, such as Arizona senator and former astronaut Senator Kelly and the Michigan representative Representative Slotkin, over the video message, which urged the military and intelligence services members to “refuse illegal orders.”
Slotkin said the counter-terrorism unit of the FBI had informed the lawmakers that “they are opening what appears to be an investigation targeting the six individuals” and characterized the move as a “scare tactic” by Trump.
“Frankly, the leader’s response and the use of the FBI against us is precisely the reason we made the video,” she said.
“He supports utilizing the US government against his perceived adversaries, and he’s willing to employ the government agencies to target dissenters. He does not believe the rules govern his actions … which is exactly why we produced the recording, to give people some assurance that they had support as they observe these events develop.”
The Pentagon has also said it is conducting a review of claims of improper behavior against Kelly that might, it indicated, result in him being recalled to active duty to face court-martial proceedings.
