CNN panel reaches boiling point with debate over video of Dems telling military to ignore unlawful orders

A CNN panel nearly erupted Thursday night as host Abby Phillip and her liberal guests clashed with conservative radio host Ben Ferguson over a video featuring Democratic lawmakers urging U.S. service members to disobey “unlawful” orders.

During the exchange, Ferguson insisted that the Democratic lawmakers were asking service members to disobey President Donald Trump’s orders in the video, prompting backlash from liberals on the panel and Phillip accusing him of lying.

“You cannot sit here and lie about that same video. That doesn’t work,” Phillip told Ferguson, pointing out that the lawmakers never explicitly told military members to disobey Trump.

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A CNN panel got into a heated back-and-forth over a video released by Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., encouraging U.S. troops to refuse “unlawful” orders from the Trump administration. (Justin Sullivan/Getty; Anna Moneymaker/Getty)

Six Democratic lawmakers — including Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. — appeared in a one-minute online video Tuesday that urged military and intelligence community members to consult their consciences and refuse to obey “illegal” orders. 

The six lawmakers invoked their prior service while telling their audience that “the threats to our Constitution are coming from right here at home.”

Directly calling out the Trump administration, they added, “This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community officials against American citizens.”

“You must refuse illegal orders,” the lawmakers declared. 

Trump saw the video as a call to defy him and his Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Trump responded to the video on Thursday with a Truth Social post that stated, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” 

Progressives claimed Trump’s post amounted to a death threat against the six lawmakers.

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Trump faced backlash after accusing Democrats of urging defiance in the ranks, later clarifying that he was not threatening anyone. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

During the CNN panel, Ferguson called it a “ridiculous video that was put out by Democrats telling people in uniform to defy the president of the United States of America.” 

The comment sparked an uproar at the table, with panelists, like liberal political influencer Leigh McGowan, who insisted the video never made that claim.

The CNN host tried to stump her conservative guest: “But Ben, we just laid out that the video says you should not follow illegal orders. Do you think that members of the military should follow illegal orders?”

Ferguson said, “I think it’s pretty clear that this was an obvious video that was put out without any issue around it, saying, if you don’t like what the president’s doing — “

Phillip cut him off, saying, “That’s literally not what it says.”

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Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy captain, defended the message, saying it reminded troops to follow the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which forbids carrying out illegal orders. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg)

Former Biden adviser Neera Tanden jumped into the fray, telling Ferguson, “You’re not telling the truth.” The two began raising their voices as they sparred with each other.

Phillip rebuked Ferguson, stating, “The more you say it, it does not make it more true.” 

“You’re actually lying,” Tanden added.

“We just played for people at home exactly what the video says,” Phillip said, adding, “Do not sit here and lie about that same video.”

Ferguson tried to respond, but Phillip interjected.

“The video did not say that they should defy the orders of the president,” she said. “It said that you cannot follow illegal orders. That’s in the Military Court of justice.”

Phillip has frequently fact-checked conservative guests on her show. In a recent interview with former MSNBC host Joy Reid, she said part of her job is correcting conservative guests who share misinformation or conspiracy theories.

“I mean, half my job sometimes is knowing what the latest conspiracy is. Yeah. So that if it comes up, I’m ready to address it. Because it happens a lot where people don’t even know that what they’re saying or what they’ve seen and believe is not true,” she said. 

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When asked for comment on Phillip’s remarks, the White House shared a clip of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters, “You have sitting members of the United States Congress, who conspired together to orchestrate a video messaged to members of the United States military — to active duty service members, to members of the national security apparatus — encouraging them to defy the president’s lawful orders.”

Leavitt added, “The sanctity of our military rests on the chain of command, and if that chain of command is broken, it can lead to people getting killed, it can lead to chaos. And that’s what these members of Congress, who swore an oath to abide by the Constitution, are essentially encouraging.”