Democrats Allege Trump of ‘Intimidation’ Tactic as FBI Seeks Meetings
A collection of Democrat politicians labeled by the president as engaging in “seditious behavior” have claimed that the president is employing the FBI to target them as a “tool to intimidate and harass members of Congress.”
The group of four politicians, together with two others, had created a recorded message encouraging American troops to disobey illegal commands – a message that angered Trump, who posted on social media that the individuals were “disloyal citizens” and thus could be jailed or even be subject to capital punishment.
An announcement, issued by congressional lawmakers the Colorado congressman, the Pennsylvania representatives, and Maggie Goodlander, confirmed that the FBI had reached out to the House and Senate sergeants at arms seeking discussions with them.
“No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever prevent us from fulfilling our duties and honoring our constitution,” they stated, noting that they had each taken a vow “to uphold and protect” the Constitution of the United States.
“That oath lasts a lifetime, and we plan to honor it. We will not be bullied. We will not surrender our principles,” they added.
The statement intensifies a conflict between the Trump administration and Democrats, including the senator from Arizona and former astronaut Senator Kelly and Michigan congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, over the video message, which advised the military and intelligence services members to “disregard unlawful commands.”
Slotkin said the FBI’s counter-terrorism division had notified the group that “they are initiating what seems like an investigation against the six of us” and described the action as a “intimidation strategy” by Trump.
“To be honest, the president’s reaction and the use of the FBI against us is exactly why we made the video,” she said.
“He supports utilizing the US government against his perceived adversaries, and he’s not afraid to use the government agencies against people he disagrees with. He fails to accept the rules govern his actions … which is exactly why we produced the recording, to give people some assurance that they weren’t alone as they observe these events develop.”
The Pentagon has also said it is conducting a review of claims of improper behavior against Kelly that could, it said, lead to his return to military service to undergo a military trial.
