A group of Democratic lawmakers recently released a slick, viral video telling service members they can “refuse illegal orders,” and that stunt crossed a red line into dangerous politicization of our armed forces. The message wasn’t a sober legal briefing — it was a public, partisan call that could sow confusion among troops following orders in chaotic situations.
On Fox’s Big Weekend Show, Rep. Pat Fallon rightly ripped into the stunt and asked a simple, blunt question conservatives have been asking: where was this righteous outrage when the Obama administration waged a covert drone campaign against Islamic terrorists? Fallon’s point cuts to the hypocrisy at the heart of elite media and political class outrage — selective memory is being used to score partisan points while our country’s security is at stake.
Let’s be clear: the Obama years saw a major expansion of drone strikes and a willingness to act decisively against terror networks abroad — a reality liberals now suddenly treat as mortal sin when convenient. Americans can and should debate executive power, but the left’s current moral fury rings hollow when measured against their past tolerance for the same tools when wielded by their team.
The reaction from the right, including blunt tweets from former President Trump calling for arrests, was raw and furious, and many conservatives see it as a proportional response to what they view as a dangerous provocation. That said, calls for violence are unacceptable and any rhetoric that drifts toward extrajudicial punishment undermines the rule of law conservatives claim to defend. The proper response is accountability through the legal and political system, not mob justice.
What we should be asking, loudly and persistently, is who benefits when elected officials turn the military into a talking point. Politicians pouring partisan fuel on the civil-military divide do real harm to readiness and morale, and they exact a price we will all pay if the chain of command becomes a political football. Responsible leaders respect the uniform and settle disputes in Congress and the courts, not on viral clips.
Pat Fallon and other Republicans are right to demand clarity and consequences: Democrats who produced that video must explain whether they intended to encourage disobedience or merely remind troops of basic law. If their aim was the latter, an apology and a calmer, more responsible conversation about civilian control of the military would be the least they could offer. If their aim was to weaponize the military against an elected president, voters need to know that now.
This isn’t about left versus right — it’s about preserving the institutions that have kept America safe for generations. Patriots of every political stripe should stand with our service members and insist that lawmakers quit the preening theatrics and start defending the Constitution in practice, not just on camera. If Democrats want to lecture the military about legality, they should be ready to answer hard questions about past policies and stop pretending selective outrage is courage.
