Trump's Explosive Social Media Posts Spark Bipartisan Outrage
Former President Donald Trump ignited a political firestorm on Thursday after publishing a series of posts on his Truth Social platform calling for the arrest of Democratic lawmakers. In his most inflammatory remarks, Trump accused the politicians of engaging in what he termed 'SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH'.
The president's outburst came in response to a video posted by Democratic legislators addressing active service members, in which they advised military personnel to refuse illegal orders. Trump escalated his rhetoric in multiple posts, including one that stated: 'This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP??? President DJT.'
Democratic Leaders Condemn 'Dangerous Death Threats'
House Democratic leadership responded swiftly with a joint statement from Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar. They described Trump's posts as 'disgusting and dangerous death threats' and demanded their immediate removal.
'Donald Trump must immediately delete these unhinged social media posts and recant his violent rhetoric before he gets someone killed,' the statement read. The Democratic leaders confirmed they had contacted the House sergeant at arms and United States Capitol police to ensure the safety of the targeted members and their families.
The White House later attempted to walk back the president's comments, clarifying that Trump does not actually want to see Democratic members of Congress executed.
Multiple Political Developments Unfold Amid Controversy
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed he would negotiate with Trump regarding a US-Russia peace plan that would require Kyiv to make significant concessions. Zelenskyy's office stated they had received the draft plan and would work with the Trump administration to 'bring a worthy end to the war'.
In environmental policy, the Trump administration announced new oil and gas drilling off the coasts of California and Florida, setting up potential conflicts with Sunshine State Republicans who have historically opposed petroleum development in the Gulf of Mexico.
The administration also revealed plans to roll back Endangered Species Act protections, proposing changes that would give the federal government more power to weigh economic impacts against habitat designations and remove safeguards against climate crisis effects.
In a rare bipartisan moment, Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, giving the Department of Justice 30 days to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski warned that people would 'feel like they've been duped' if the justice department failed to comply.
Other significant developments included a justice department investigation into the handling of the Adam Schiff mortgage fraud case, a controversial change to CDC vaccine information, and the notable absence of Trump and Vice-President JD Vance from former Vice-President Dick Cheney's funeral.
