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FBI seeks interviews with Democratic lawmakers who told US troops to reject ‘illegal orders’

The lawmakers acted amid worries inside the Democratic Party, and privately among some commanders.

2 min readNov 25, 2025 10:37 PM IST First published on: Nov 25, 2025 at 10:27 PM IST
FBIFBI has asked to interview six Democratic lawmakers who told US military personnel they must refuse any illegal orders. (File Photo)

The FBI has asked to interview six Democratic lawmakers who told US military personnel they must refuse any illegal orders, a US Justice Department official told Reuters on Tuesday.

Why the warning video was released

The six lawmakers Senator Mark Kelly, Senator Elissa Slotkin, and Representatives Jason Crow, Maggie Goodlander, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan made the comments in a video released last week.

Also read: Judge dismisses cases against James Comey and Letitia James

The lawmakers acted amid worries inside the Democratic Party, and privately among some commanders, that the Trump administration may be breaking the law by ordering strikes on vessels in Latin American waters that the Pentagon says are linked to drug trafficking. The Pentagon argues the strikes are legal because the suspects are treated as terrorists.

Pentagon threat to recall Senator Kelly

A day before the FBI request, the Pentagon warned that Senator Mark Kelly, a Navy veteran, could be recalled to active duty and possibly face military charges.

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media that Kelly’s actions were “seditious”.

Kelly rejected the threat. “This is an intimidation tactic,” he said in a statement carried by Reuters. The FBI did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

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