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Lawmakers from the Democratic party demonstrated anger after Donald Trump alleged a group of Democratic representatives of being "betrayers" and stated they should be arrested and punished "with execution" following their publication of a controversial video.

The Message That Sparked the Dispute

The video footage, released on earlier this week, features six Democratic congress members who formerly served in military or intelligence capacities.

"Like us, you all took an oath to defend and defend this national charter," the representatives declared in the short video. "And right now, the threats to our constitution don't only come from abroad, but from domestically. Our regulations are explicit, you can refuse illegal orders, you can decline unlawful commands, you should reject illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the legal system or our constitution."

Trump's Furious Response

The recorded statement appeared to trigger a angry response from the ex-president.

On the following morning, Trump published on his social media platform: "This constitutes SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these betrayers to our United States should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL."

In a separate message, he declared: "This represents really serious, and Harmful to our Country. Their comments cannot be enabled to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???"

In a additional message, he stated: "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, liable by DEATH!" He also shared a statement that read: "HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!"

Opposition Representatives Respond

Following Trump's comments on Thursday, House Democratic leader published a joint announcement denouncing the remarks.

"Partisan aggression has no position in the United States," they wrote. "Elected officials who participated in the video all worked our country with tremendous loyalty and distinction. We unequivocally condemn Donald Trump's appalling and harmful calls for execution against members of Congress, and urge GOP representatives to forcefully do the same."

The Democratic leaders also stated that they had been in touch with protective services "to ensure the safety of these representatives and their loved ones."

"Donald Trump must without delay delete these extreme social media posts and recant his aggressive discourse before he leads to violence," the declaration stated.

Lawmakers' Strong Response

The officials who participated in the video also published a statement.

"We are ex-military personnel and security experts who value this country and took an oath to safeguard and support the constitution of the United States," they said. "This commitment is permanent, and we aim to honor it. No intimidation, pressure, or call for violence will prevent us from that important responsibility."

"The significant point is that the ex-president views it liable to punishment by death for us to restate the law," they stated. "Armed forces members should understand that we have their backs as they carry out their pledge to the constitution and duty to follow only lawful orders. It is not only the correct thing to do, but also our responsibility."

They continued: "Every American must come together and denounce the ex-president's calls for our execution and partisan aggression. This is a period for principled stance."

More Governmental Reactions

The Senate Democratic leader also censured Trump's comments and posted on social media: "Let's be crystal clear: the former president is demanding the capital punishment of government members."

He continued: "This constitutes an direct THREAT. Every Senator, every Representative, every American – without partisan consideration – should condemn this immediately and unconditionally."

The Republican House speaker justified Trump's assertion that the Democrats had been involved in "rebellion", describing the video as "wildly inappropriate", adding: "This represents very risky, you have prominent officials of the government advising military personnel to disobey orders, I think that's historic in the nation's past."

The Republican leader also reportedly told the press that in what he read of Trump's posts, Trump was "describing the crime of sedition" but that "legal experts have to parse the language and establish all that."

Executive Branch Statement

During a executive branch meeting on Thursday afternoon, when questioned by a journalist, "Would the president want to kill congressional representatives?", the executive branch representative responded: "Absolutely not."

"It's important to note about what the ex-commander in chief is addressing," the spokesperson said. "We see current representatives of the US Congress who worked together to arrange a digital communication to members of the US military, to active duty service members encouraging them to defy the president's lawful orders."

She said: "The sanctity of our military rests on the command structure, and if that structure is broken, it can cause people getting killed, it can result in confusion, and that's what these members of Congress ... are basically promoting."