‘We will not be bullied’: House Democrats confirm FBI requests for interviews over video to troops
Four Democratic members of the US House, who appeared in a video telling service members to “refuse illegal orders”, confirmed that the FBI has requested interviews with them. All of the lawmakers in the video are former members of the military or intelligence community.
Today, the representatives issued statements, saying that Donald Trump is using the FBI “as a tool to intimidate and harass” them.
“We swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. We will not be bullied. We will never give up the ship,” representatives Maggie Goodlander, Jason Crow, Chrissy Houlahan, and Chris Deluzio wrote.
Key events
Senior congressional Republican critiques possible peace plan to end war in Ukraine
Mitch McConnell, the Republican senator from Kentucky and former majority leader, has critiqued a possible US co-authored peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, which might require land concessions.
“The most basic reality on the ground is that the price of peace matters. A deal that rewards aggression wouldn’t be worth the paper it’s written on,” he lawmaker wrote in a post on X. “America isn’t a neutral arbiter, and we shouldn’t act like one.”
Last week, McConnell said that Vladimir Putin has “spent the entire year trying to play President Trump for a fool”. He added that the president “ought to find new advisors” if administration officials are “more concerned with appeasing Putin than securing real peace”. In response, vice-president JD Vance said that every criticism of the peace deal “either misunderstands the framework or misstates some critical reality on the ground”.
Here’s a recap of the day so far
It’s almost 1:30pm in Washington, and here’s were things stand today.
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As he prepared to pardon two lucky turkeys, Waddle and Gobble, the president said he thought a peace deal on Russia’s war in Ukraine was getting very close but gave no other details. “We’re going to get there,” Donald Trump said. Earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “tremendous progress” had been made towards a deal. In a post on X, she added that “a few delicate, but not insurmountable” details remain and “will require further talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States”.
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The FBI has requested interviews with the six Democratic members of Congress who took part in a video where they told members of the military to “refuse illegal orders”, according to Reuters. Citing an unnamed justice department official, Reuters reports that the FBI is asking for interviews with senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin, as well as House representatives Maggie Goodlander, Jason Crow, Chrissy Houlahan, and Chris Deluzio. The FBI declined to comment when the Guardian reached out about the latest report.
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For his part, senator Kelly called the Pentagon’s announcement that it is investigating the him for possible breaches of military law for taking part in the video as an act of “intimidation”. In an interview with Rachel Maddow on MS NOW, Kelly added: “I don’t think there’s anything more patriotic than standing up for the constitution. And right here, right now, this week, the president clearly is not doing that.”
Trump says getting ‘very close’ to deal on Ukraine
In his remarks before the pardoning just then, Trump also said he thought a deal on Russia’s war in Ukraine was getting “very close” but gave no other details. “We’re going to get there,” he said.
“I think we’re getting very close to a deal, we’ll find out … I think we’re making progress,” he added.
My colleagues over on the Europe blog report that a short while ago Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to move forward with a US-backed peace deal, and that he was prepared to discuss its sensitive points with Trump in talks he said should include European allies.
In a speech to the ‘coalition of the willing’, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, the Ukrainian president urged European leaders to hash out a framework for deploying a “reassurance force” to Ukraine and to continue supporting Kyiv for as long as Moscow shows no willingness to end its war.
Gobble is officially pardoned. Along with Waddle, he’ll live out the rest of his days in North Carolina.
Trump goes on to ramble about his views on crime in Chicago and how “we’re moving toward” the city, reiterating his desire to send in federal troops.
He also issues an astonishing personal attack on Illinois governor JB Pritzker, calling him a “big fat slob”.
Trump jokes that when he first saw the pictures of Gobble and Waddle, he thought he should call them Chuck and Nancy (presumably referring to Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi).
“But then I realised I wouldn’t be pardoning them, I would never pardon those two people,” he says.
Donald Trump is speaking now at the turkey pardon ceremony in the White House rose garden.
Trump beings his comments joking that last year’s pardon was carried on by Joe Biden using an autopen and therefore isn’t valid. But don’t worry, Trump quickly adds that he’s tracked down Peach and Blossom, who were “on their way to be processed”, and pardoned them, so they won’t be served for Thanksgiving this year either.
“We saved them in the nick of time,” Trump says.
Gobble and Waddle are the lucky birds being spared this year, the latter of whom was yesterday let loose in the press briefing room. As well as meeting reporters, Waddle met Karoline Leavitt and her son, Niko.
A quick note, the FBI declined to comment when the Guardian reached out about the latest reports that the bureau requested interviews with the six Democratic lawmakers who took part in last week’s video.
Earlier today, defense secretary Pete Hegseth said that that while the video Democrats’ posted “might seem harmless” to civilians, it “carries a different weight inside the military”.
Hegseth said that because the video was ultimately a “a politically-motivated influence operation” as it never named a “specific” illegal order.
“Vague rhetoric and ambiguity undermines trust, creates hesitation in the chain of command, and erodes cohesion,” Hegseth added in a post on X. “As veterans of various sorts, the Seditious Six knew exactly what they were doing.”
FBI requests interviews with Democratic lawmakers over video telling troops to ‘refuse illegal orders’- reports
The FBI has requested interviews with the six Democratic members of Congress who took part in a video where they told members of the military to “refuse illegal orders”, according to Reuters.
As we’ve reported, the Pentagon said it was investigating one of the lawmakers, Arizona senator and former Navy captain Mark Kelly, for violating military law by appearing in the video. Kelly has called the DoD announcement an act of “intimidation”.
Reuters, citing an unnamed justice department official, reports that the FBI is asking for interviews with Kelly and the other Democrats: senator Elissa Slotkin, and House representatives Maggie Goodlander, Jason Crow, Chrissy Houlahan, and Chris Deluzio.
The Guardian has reached out to the FBI for comment.
Amy Sedghi
Talks between US army secretary Dan Driscoll and Russia delegates on a US plan to end the conflict with Ukraine are “going well,” his spokesperson said on Tuesday, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Lt Col Jeff Tolbert, Driscoll’s spokesperson, gave this update:
Late Monday and throughout Tuesday, secretary Driscoll and team have been in discussions with the Russian delegation to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine.
The talks are going well and we remain optimistic.
White House says ‘tremendous progress’ has been made towards peace deal but further talks between US, Russia, and Ukraine required
The White House said today that the US has made “tremendous progress towards a peace deal” between Ukraine and Russia.
In a post on X, press secretary Karoline Leavitt added that “a few delicate, but not insurmountable” details remain and “will require further talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States”.
Ukraine supports ‘essence of peace framework’ after Geneva talks – report
A Ukrainian official has told Reuters that Ukraine supports the “essence” of the peace deal’s framework after talks in Geneva concluded on Monday.
The unnamed Ukrainian official added that the most sensitive issues of the framework are to be discussed between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump.
My colleagues are covering the latest at our Europe live blog below.
Republican congressman calls for ‘common sense and restraint’ after Pentagon announces investigation in senator Kelly
Don Bacon, the outgoing Republican congressman from Nebraska, who has established himself as a more moderate voice within the GOP, said that the Pentagon’s investigation into senator Mark Kelly is evidence of “amateur hour” at the department.
“I thought the video by six Dems was unnecessary and foolish. But the threats of sedition charges and courts martial in response are also crazy. Let’s show some common sense and restraint,” he said, referring to the president’s posts on Truth Social.
