U.S. Attorney's Office drops effort to indict 6 Democratic lawmakers who posted video on illegal orders, sources say
CBS News7 hrs
Grand Jury Rejects Indictment of Six Democratic Lawmakers
Is urging troops to disobey illegal orders protected speech or is it inciting dangerous military insubordination?
Above: U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC, on Feb. 6. Image credit: Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
Prosecuting lawmakers for a video urging troops to disobey illegal orders is a blatant attack on the First Amendment and congressional oversight. The grand jury's rare rejection proves the case was absurd from the start. This weaponization of the Justice Department against sitting members of Congress for protected political speech sets a dangerous precedent that threatens the separation of powers.
Right narrative
Six Democrats coordinated a video telling service members to defy the Commander-in-Chief, deliberately fracturing the chain of command that protects U.S. troops. This isn't protected speech — it's inciting insubordination within the military. When lawmakers use their positions to encourage mutiny against a lawfully elected president, that's textbook sedition.