MWEG Official Response to Threats Against Members of Congress

This week, six members of Congress released a video statement reiterating the fact that under the military code of justice, and in alliance with their sworn oath, members of the military have an obligation to refuse to obey illegal orders. While some criticized the video, President Trump went further, accusing the lawmakers of “seditious behavior, punishable by death.”

Threats of violence should always be unacceptable, but at a time when political violence is on the rise, these threats are also dangerous, particularly when made by people in power. Violent rhetoric infringes on liberty, erodes our political norms, and, in a highly polarized environment, risks inciting more violence. 

The Constitution grants the president of the United States the authority to act as commander in chief, but that authority is constrained by law — and our representatives are themselves obligated by the Constitution to ensure the constraints are observed. Members of Congress must be able to speak freely about their honest concerns, without fear of threats from the U.S. president. Members of the military take an oath to the Constitution and not to a party or political leader — including their commander in chief. That oath also requires them to follow the law, regardless of commands to the contrary. These tensions are an essential feature of our political system, not an inconvenience to be forcefully eliminated.

If we wish to live in a peaceful society, we have an obligation to help create it. This includes refusing to discount or condone words that call for violent solutions to legitimate political disagreements, and speaking up for those who defend the rule of law. We will continue to call on our political leaders to operate within the bounds of the Constitution, and we resolve to support those who speak and act in its defense.