In a video message posted this week, six Democratic legislators with military or intelligence backgrounds remind members of the armed forces that they are not obligated to follow unlawful orders. That point is legally uncontroversial. It is also freshly relevant in light of the various questionable ways in which President Donald Trump has deployed the military—especially his summary executions of suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
Trump's characteristically over-the-top reaction to the video—which described its production as "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!"—confirms the importance of remembering that soldiers and other public servants have a duty higher than obedience to the president's whims. Trump's response also highlighted his tendency to portray criticism of him as a state crime, which reflects his disregard for freedom of speech as well as his narcissism.
