Republican combat veterans in Congress are urging service members to uphold law and order in response to a video from Democratic lawmakers cautioning troops against carrying out âillegalâ orders.
According to Fox News, a combat veteran, Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, appeared in a Republican-produced video urging service members to reject the guidance issued in the Democratsâ message.
âIâve led troops in combat, and Iâve seen the consequences when orders arenât followed,â Nunn said Tuesday on âHannity.â âOur service members cannot face that kind of risk today.â
Republicans argue that the video risks undermining the military chain of command, while Democrats insist they were merely reminding troops of their duty not to follow unlawful directives.
Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., a Gulf War veteran, sharply criticized Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who appeared in the Democratsâ video.
âWhat he said was egregious for multiple reasons,â McCormick told âHannity.â âI thought it was very dishonest of him to say, âWe have your back.â No, they donât,â he added, calling the video âabsolutely political.â
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has called for an investigation into Kellyâs role, and the FBI confirmed it is scheduling interviews with the six Democratic lawmakers who participated.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who posted the video, responded on X, saying, âThe President directing the FBI to target US is exactly why we made this video in the first place. He believes in weaponizing the federal government against his perceived enemies and does not believe laws apply to him or his Cabinet.â
Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Dakota Meyer also weighed in, calling the video âunacceptableâ and warning it could have âcatastrophicâ consequences.
âThe question that needs to be asked to all of them is, do you just not trust our men and women in uniform anymore? Is that the issue or is it the fact that you donât like what the presidentâs doing?â Meyer said on âThe Storyâ on Tuesday.
The dispute highlights ongoing tension over civilian oversight of the military, with Republicans framing the Democratsâ video as a threat to discipline, while Democrats insist they are protecting service members from unlawful commands.
