Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Pa. House lawmakers introduce resolution condemning Trump’s threats of political violence

Pa. House lawmakers introduce resolution condemning Trump’s threats of political violence

Action also would reaffirm solemn duty of military personnel

Rep. Paul Friel    November 21, 2025 | 4:22 PM

HARRISBURG, Nov. 21 — State Rep. Paul Friel announced today plans to introduce a resolution in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives condemning recent threats of political violence made by President Donald Trump against Democratic elected officials and reaffirming American service members’ long-standing duty to support and defend the U.S. Constitution.

The resolution is in response to recent public statements from the President of the United States that have been widely interpreted as a threat of retaliation against those representatives for stating in a video that members of the U.S. Armed Forces can and should refuse unlawful directives.

Friel and 29 other state representatives invited their colleagues to join them in supporting the resolution. The co-sponsorship memo states:

"We are at a critical moment in American history.

“When duly elected members of Congress publicly stated that, according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the military must only follow lawful orders, the President of the United States declared they committed sedition and deserve death. This threat, and the rhetoric of political violence and retaliation, represents a betrayal of the American People and a threat to our constitutional democracy. 
 
“Upon taking office, we each swear an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. We cannot honor the military service members who have given their last full measure of devotion and sacrificed so fully without absolute fidelity to that Sacred Oath. We stand together with the elected leaders in Washington, and with service members across our nation, who uphold the rule of law and the foundational principles of our republic. Our loyalty is to our Constitution and the American People whom we serve.

“Now is not a time for fear, nor is it a time for deference toward anyone who would seek to usurp that loyalty. The oath to the Constitution that elected officials take has been upheld by generations of Americans who came before us and paid the price that our freedom has thus far demanded."

The resolution underscores several core principles of American governance:

  • The Constitution’s system of checks and balances, which prevents the concentration of authority in any single officeholder and ensures that lawmakers can carry out their duties free from threats of violence or political retaliation.
  • The Declaration of Independence’s affirmation that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and that no functioning republic can tolerate coercion, intimidation, or fear in its political processes.
  • The Uniform Code of Military Justice, which makes clear in Articles 90, 91, and 92 that service members are obligated to follow only lawful orders and must refuse unconstitutional or illegal directives.
  • The Nuremberg Principles and U.S. military doctrine, which established that “just following orders” is not a defense for participating in unlawful acts.

The proposed resolution formally condemns any rhetoric – regardless of the speaker or party – that could be reasonably construed as encouraging or threatening political violence against members of the legislative branch. It also reaffirms how military personnel are trained to protect the Constitution and to reject any unlawful directives.