Dem Rep. Who Appeared in Viral Video Urging Troops to Disobey Illegal Orders: ‘It Is the Obligation of Every Service Member to Obey Lawful Orders and Lawful Orders Only’

TAPPER: “Congresswoman, you‘re one of the six Democrats in that video. I want your reaction to what the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in this briefing. Take a listen.”

[Clip starts]

LEAVITT: “Maggie Goodlander was a Naval officer, and notably, she was also — she is also the wife of Joe Biden‘s national security former adviser, Jake Sullivan. And so, these members knew what they were doing. That is a very, very dangerous message. And it perhaps is punishable by law.”

[Clip ends]

TAPPER: “What‘s your response, Congresswoman?”

GOODLANDER: “Well, Jake, thanks for having me. Look, I never thought that simply and clearly stating federal law would ever cause the president of the United States, the commander-in-chief, to threaten violence against me and members of Congress. Look, we — our message is clear to our service members. And I think it‘s a really important one in this moment. Our laws are clear. We all take an oath to the same Constitution, and it is our responsibility as the ones who write the laws to be clear about what they say. The Uniform Code of Military Justice is crystal clear on this point. It is the obligation of every service member to obey lawful orders and lawful orders only. And that‘s our simple and clear message. And it‘s an important one, because there are legitimate concerns that this president is going to issue and has issued unlawful orders to American troops who are operating on American soil. That‘s just not who we are as a country. And these kinds of threats of violence are not who we are as a country.”