Michigan Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin accused President Donald Trump of attempting to intimidate and silence her by investigating her over her involvement in a that called on U.S. troops to refuse illegal orders.
“Let me be clear, this is the President’s playbook,” Slotkin said in a she shared on X on Wednesday. “Truth doesn’t matter, facts don’t matter—anyone who disagrees with him becomes an enemy, and he then uses the federal government as a weapon against them. It’s legal intimidation and physical intimidation meant to make you stop speaking.”
“He’s employed this tactic with our universities, our corporations, our legal community, and with politicians who mistakenly believe that following his orders and staying silent will keep them safe,” she continued. “No. I won’t do that. Because this President does not reflect the views of a majority of Americans. Even if you voted for him, I don’t believe his vision for America is shared by most Americans.”
Slotkin, a former CIA officer, stated that the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro, requested to interview her last week due to her participation in a video she co-produced and released in November with five other Democratic lawmakers. In the video, the politicians—all of whom had prior military or national security service before entering elected office—told members of the military and intelligence community that they can and should refuse to carry out orders “that break the law or violate our Constitution.”
The lawmakers did not reference specific orders in the video, but Trump’s military actions—including strikes on boats the Administration claimed were transporting drugs in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean—have sparked significant controversy and legal review.
The video quickly the President’s attention, as he posted multiple social media messages denouncing the Democratic politicians, labeling their actions “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” However, legal experts that nothing in the video was “seditious” or “illegal.”
“They were not encouraging defiance of lawful orders,” one expert noted. “They were encouraging defiance of unlawful orders. That is an accurate statement of the law.”
The Trump Administration, however, has launched multiple efforts to investigate the lawmakers over the video. Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that his department was initiating proceedings against retired Navy captain Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona—one of the video’s participants—that could result in a reduction of the Senator’s military pension. Hegseth accused Kelly and the other lawmakers of releasing a “reckless and seditious video clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline,” adding that Kelly “remains subject to military justice.”
Kelly the move, stating, “If Pete Hegseth, the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in our nation’s history, thinks he can intimidate me with a censure or threats of demotion or prosecution, he still doesn’t understand. I will fight this with all I have.” On Monday, Kelly a lawsuit against Hegseth and the Pentagon over the administrative action.
Slotkin, who first disclosed the investigation into herself to The New York Times, did not provide further details about the inquiry. Pirro’s office has not publicly shared information about the investigation, and a spokesperson for the office declined to confirm or deny to TIME the existence of an investigation into Slotkin.
In her Wednesday message, Slotkin revealed she had received over 1,000 threats following Trump’s social media posts. More than 100 of these threats, she said, were deemed credible and are under investigation. She received a bomb threat to her home and was placed under 24/7 security by the Capitol Police. Her family has also been targeted: her parents were “swatted” in the middle of the night. “Swatting” involves making a fake 911 call to trigger the deployment of armed officers to a location.
Despite the threats—both from the public and the Trump Administration—Slotkin vowed she would not be silenced.
“This country is worth fighting for. Our freedom of speech is worth fighting for, our values—our core values—are worth fighting for,” she said. “Right now, speaking out against the abuse of power is the most patriotic act we can take.”