A routine White House press briefing turned tense on November 20 after Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt abruptly ended the session following a sharp exchange with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. The confrontation came after Leavitt made claims about a video released by six Democratic lawmakers that Collins said were inaccurate.
The briefing escalated when Leavitt responded to questions about President Donald Trump’s remarks calling Democrats “traitors.” Leavitt argued that the lawmakers had urged military and intelligence personnel to ignore lawful commands.
“You have sitting members of the United States Congress who conspired together to orchestrate a video message to active-duty service members and members of the national security apparatus, encouraging them to defy the president’s lawful orders,” she said. She added that breaking the chain of command “can lead to chaos, and it can lead to people getting killed.”
Reporters quickly pushed back, and Collins interjected, “That’s actually not what they said.” As objections filled the room, Leavitt ended the briefing and walked away from the podium.
Collins continued speaking as Leavitt exited. “Karoline, you misquoted Democrats in that video,” she said. “That’s actually not what they said.”
The video at the center of the dispute was produced by Representatives Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, and Chrissy Houlahan, along with Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin. All have military or national security experience.
The message urged service members to follow the law if given illegal commands. Slotkin summarized the intent in her caption: “We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community. The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution. Don’t give up the ship.”
In the video, the lawmakers warned that “this administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens.” They said threats to the Constitution were “not just coming from abroad, but from right here at home.” Their central message emphasized legality: “Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders… You must refuse illegal orders. We have your back.”
The video arrived shortly after Trump posted a series of explosive messages on Truth Social, including one that read, “This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” Another post said, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” Trump also shared additional posts suggesting the lawmakers should be hanged.
The clash in the briefing room underscored growing tensions as Trump’s rhetoric intensifies and Democrats warn of the potential misuse of military authority.
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