Within the last week, many members of Congress have faced threats of political violence as a result of speaking out against President Donald Trump.
The first instance was with Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was one of Trump’s biggest supporters, and the other instance involved six Democratic lawmakers who made a video urging members of the military they did not have to follow illegal orders.
Greene faced threats of violence after condemning Trump and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson for not advocating for the release of the Epstein files.
Greene and Republican Congressman Thomas Massie were the biggest Republican voices pushing for the release of Epstein files, despite the president’s wishes being against the release.
Before Trump’s switch-up on the Epstein files being released, Greene was publicly condemning Trump for mishandling the files, along with sending foreign aid to Israel.
Trump did not take this lightly and went to Truth Social to blast Greene on the platform, saying that Greene was a traitor to the Republican Party.
After Trump’s numerous posts withdrawing support from the Georgia congresswoman, Greene announced on Twitter that she started receiving pipe bomb threats and death threats.
“I am now being contacted by private security firms with warnings for my safety as a hotbed of threats against me are being fueled and egged on by the most powerful man in the world,” Greene wrote in an X post, just days before announcing her resignation from Congress.
The Epstein files ended up being passed in the House by 427-1, the Senate and then signed into law by President Trump.
Later in the week, six Democratic lawmakers who served in the military and/or intelligence made a short social media video expressing that military members are allowed to refuse illegal orders, referencing the Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard in some American cities.
In the video, the lawmakers said that any orders that violate standing U.S. laws or the Constitution do not have to be followed, which sparked a reaction from Trump.
“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
The reaction from Trump was condemned by people on both sides of the aisle, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stating that “political violence has no place in America” and Republican Sen. Rand Paul stating that the kind of rhetoric that Trump perpetuated was not good for the country.
However, most Republicans dismissed Trump’s post, noting that the Democratic lawmakers were sending a message that could be seen as dangerous.
The comments from Trump show an evolving trend of political violence in the country, following the assassinations of Melissa Hortman and Charlie Kirk.
