“Don’t give up the ship,” they said. The irony? The last time that phrase was famously uttered, the ship was given up — captured by the British, no less. A noble sentiment, sure, but not exactly a winning strategy. And now, in 2025, a group of Democrat lawmakers has dusted off that same dramatic line and repackaged it into a minute-and-a-half video aimed directly at the U.S. military and intelligence community. The message? If you don’t like the orders from the commander-in-chief — which, just to be clear, is President Donald J. Trump — go ahead and ignore them.
Let’s not play dumb here. They never say Trump’s name, but come on — they might as well have rented a Times Square billboard that screams “We don’t recognize this administration.” This wasn’t a subtle civics lesson about the chain of command. This was a politically-charged wink-and-nod to anyone in uniform who still listens to MSNBC at the gym.
The video, posted by Sen. Elissa Slotkin on social media, features the usual suspects from the “we know better” wing of the Democrat Party: Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Reps. Chris Deluzio, Chrissy Houlahan, Maggie Goodlander, and Jason Crow — all former military or intel folks, all deeply embedded in the Beltway groupthink, and all seemingly convinced that they get to decide which orders count as lawful.
They claim their goal is to uphold the Constitution. That sounds noble — until you realize they’re essentially telling soldiers, sailors, airmen, and analysts to start making their own judgment calls about which orders are “legal” and which ones aren’t. As if the chaos of war or high-stakes intel work needs more ambiguity. This isn’t about protecting the Constitution. It’s about undermining the Commander-in-Chief — and doing it with a smile on camera.
Senator Kelly, who flew combat missions in the Navy, now apparently thinks the battlefield needs more lawyers. He accuses the Trump administration of “pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens.” Sure, Mark. That’s definitely what’s happening — not, say, a serious effort by this administration to root out corruption, restore border security, and re-establish law and order after years of bureaucratic overreach and activist-driven policy disasters.
Then comes the kicker. Over and over, they say it: “You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders.” Well, who determines what’s illegal, exactly? A uniformed officer acting on orders from the chain of command? Or a D.C. politician with a Twitter account and a grudge?
And just for good measure, they throw in a few solemn reminders that everyone “swore an oath to defend the Constitution.” We agree. They did. But if memory serves, the oath also involves following lawful orders from superiors. Funny how that part got left out of their PSA.
Democrats actually recorded this, reviewed it, and thought: “yea this will be a good post”
This is wild. Could you imagine the outcry the left would have if the right or Trump tried this?
Insanity. https://t.co/jsW6O4Wmjj
Should military personnel defy orders from the commander-in-chief?— Brad Parscale (@parscale) November 18, 2025
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the setting here: we’ve just lived through years of left-wing meltdowns over the supposed dangers of “insurrectionist rhetoric,” and now we’ve got sitting members of Congress posting videos that amount to saying, “Hey, troops — be ready to disobey.” With political violence escalating, including the assassination attempt on President Trump and the tragic killing of Turning Point’s Charlie Kirk, maybe — just maybe — this is not the time to be lobbing more rhetorical grenades into an already unstable atmosphere.
But no, Democrats never miss a chance to cast themselves as the last line of defense against “the darkness.” That vague, ever-present boogeyman they insist is lurking around every corner, always somehow wearing a MAGA hat.
The subtext of this whole thing is clear: If you’re serving your country and you don’t like what’s coming down from Trump’s Pentagon, maybe you should think twice about obeying it. That’s not just irresponsible — it’s reckless. This isn’t patriotism. This is sabotage dressed up in a flag pin and a somber tone.
And remember, these are the same people who’ve spent the last eight years lecturing the country about norms, stability, and the sacredness of institutions. But when it’s their political opposition in the White House? Suddenly, it’s open season on the chain of command.
So yes, the phrase “Don’t give up the ship” is back. But with this crew steering, it sure feels like the goal isn’t to save the ship — it’s to sink it from within.
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