Democratic Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin recently found herself in the spotlight after acknowledging her inability to pinpoint any unlawful directives issued by President Donald Trump.
This admission came during an interview with Martha Raddatz on "This Week." Slotkin, alongside five other Democrats with military or intelligence backgrounds, had previously appeared in a video urging servicemembers to resist any "illegal" orders from President Trump. The video drew sharp criticism from the President, who labeled it "sedition at the highest level" on Truth Social.
According to the Daily Caller, Slotkin explained the motivation behind the video, citing numerous young officers expressing uncertainty about their duties. "So I think the reason we put that statement out is because the sheer number of frankly, young officers who are coming to us and saying, Im not sure, what do I do? You know Im in SOUTHCOM and Im involved in the National Guard, Im just not sure, what do I do?'" she stated.
Slotkin further mentioned reports from legal officers, or JAG officers, who have raised concerns about the legality of certain actions. She emphasized the existence of illegal orders within the Uniform Code of Military Justice, referencing historical precedents like Nuremberg. "And its just that its a totally benign statement and if the president is concerned about it then he should stay deeply within the law, but I think its important to know its not hypothetical," she added.
The context of these discussions is the recent military operations targeting vessels suspected of drug trafficking. Since September 2, U.S. forces have engaged in multiple strikes, including the sinking of a boat linked to the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), which President Trump designated as a foreign terrorist organization upon taking office on January 20, 2025.
When Raddatz pressed Slotkin on whether President Trump had issued any illegal orders, Slotkin replied, "To my knowledge, I am not aware of things that are illegal, but certainly there are some legal gymnastics that are going on with these Caribbean strikes and everything related to Venezuela."
The Senate recently voted against a resolution disapproving these strikes under the War Powers Act, with a narrow 51-49 margin on November 13. This decision underscores the ongoing debate over the legality and strategic implications of U.S. military actions in the region.
As the situation unfolds, questions about the balance of power and adherence to legal frameworks remain at the forefront of national discourse.
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