For a President to threaten sitting congressmen with death is extraordinary - but not unprecedented.

In yesterday’s letter, Heather Cox Richardson points out that it’s happened before. In 1866, President Andrew Johnson accused Republicans of trying to overthrow the government and called for them to be hanged. The issue was the 14th Amendment guaranteeing equal rights for former slaves which Congress supported and Johnson vehemently opposed.

Ultimately Americans came down on the side of equal rights, and the 14th Amendment was ratified. We trust that our fellow citizens will come down on the side of right in this instance too - and support the right of service members to refuse to obey unlawful orders.

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/november-22-2025