A battle over Trump’s ‘sedition’ post is brewingpublished at 17:25 GMT
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House
There’s a new political battle brewing at the White House over Donald Trump’s post accusing some Democrats of “seditious behaviour” – which he said was “punishable by death”.
Trump’s post was in reference to a video in which some Democratic lawmakers called on members of the US military and intelligence community to “refuse illegal orders”.
Trump’s post is already facing backlash from Democrats, several of whom said in a statement that it was “unhinged”.
In that statement, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said they “unequivocally condemn Donald Trump’s disgusting and dangerous death threats against members of Congress”.
California Governor Gavin Newsom – one of Trump’s most vocal detractors – described Trump’s post as evidence that “this man is sick in the head”.
Trump’s post comes at a time in which many Americans are growing increasingly concerned about the prospect of political violence, particularly after the murder of Trump ally Charlie Kirk earlier this year.
More recently, Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed concerns that there were threats to her safety after Trump publicly, and repeatedly, criticised her on social media.
