Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., on Thursday said she won't sit for an interview requested as part of an inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice over a video she taped with five other Democrats urging U.S. troops to resist "illegal orders" from the Trump administration.
The video sparked immediate criticism from the GOP and Trump, who said the content was "seditious behavior, punishable by death."
Slotkin said she does not plan to cooperate with the investigation, arguing that doing so would legitimize what she described as unconstitutional actions by the administration.
"The FBI and the Department of Justice opened up an inquiry on me in response to the president's tweets," Slotkin said in a post shared on X.
"But at this point, I'm not going to be sitting down for this inquiry. I'm not going to legitimize their actions."
Slotkin emphasized that the video at the center of the inquiry was publicly available and that she has repeatedly discussed it in public forums. She said her speech is protected under the First Amendment and framed the issue as a broader fight over free expression.
"Our constitution is crystal clear on the issue of freedom of speech, something worth fighting for," she said.
Slotkin said she was advised by multiple attorneys to remain silent and allow the issue to subside, but she rejected that advice. She accused the Trump administration and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro of attempting to silence her and others through legal and personal intimidation.
"To be honest, many lawyers told me to just be quiet, keep my head down, and hopefully this will all just go away," Slotkin said. "But that's exactly what the Trump administration and Jeanine Pirro want."
She said she believes the inquiry is part of a deliberate effort to deter criticism of the administration by signaling potential legal consequences for those who speak out.
"They are purposely using physical and legal intimidation to get me to shut up," Slotkin said. "But more importantly, they're using that intimidation to deter others from speaking out against their administration."
Slotkin said she does not intend to participate in what she characterized as an effort designed to normalize intimidation tactics.
"The intimidation is the point, and I'm not going to go along with that," she said.
The FBI and the DOJ have not publicly confirmed the existence of an inquiry involving Slotkin or commented on her allegations. The White House also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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