Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin has accused former President Donald Trump of employing tactics borrowed from authoritarian regimes in an attempt to intimidate and silence his critics. The Michigan lawmaker is currently under investigation by the Trump administration for her role in a video addressing military personnel.
An Investigation Rooted in a Viral Message
The controversy stems from a 90-second video released in November, organised by Slotkin and featuring five other congressional Democrats with military or intelligence backgrounds. In the clip, they cited the Uniform Code of Military Justice, urging service members to refuse any orders they believe to be illegal or unconstitutional.
Trump branded the message "treasonous" and amplified a social media post suggesting the six Democrats should be hanged. Subsequently, the administration initiated investigations. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is seeking to retroactively demote fellow video participant Senator Mark Kelly, a former navy captain and astronaut. Meanwhile, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro has requested an interview with Slotkin.
"They’re now using a well-worn playbook that employs physical intimidation and legal intimidation to get, A, you to shut up, and B, for other people thinking of criticising the president on such issues to be dissuaded from doing so," Slotkin told The Guardian.
From CIA Analyst to Political Target
Slotkin, 49, brings a unique perspective to the confrontation. A former CIA analyst who served three tours in Iraq, she later held national security roles at the Pentagon and White House under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. She entered electoral politics in 2018, flipping a Republican House seat in Michigan.
She sees clear parallels between the current administration's actions and the dictatorships she studied. "As a CIA officer I’ve served in places like this, I’ve studied places like this my entire life, and Trump is sadly using that playbook in the United States right now," she stated.
Slotkin has no regrets about the video, explaining it was a direct response to concerns from uniformed personnel. "The president’s completely over-the-top response is exactly why we felt the need to issue that kind of a video," she said. "He literally threatened us with investigation, arrest and death... That is the president of the United States calling for someone to have corporal punishment."
Shifting Focus to a Domestic Battle: The Housing Crisis
Beyond the political fray, Slotkin is applying national security language to domestic issues, notably the American housing crisis. She has introduced a Senate bill declaring a national housing emergency, proposing to slash regulations and invoke the Defense Production Act to spur the construction of 4 million homes.
She points to stark statistics: home prices have soared nearly 55% since 2020, and the average age of a first-time buyer is now 40, compared to 28 for her parents' generation. "The Trump administration should be using the full weight of big, bold federal action to help deal with our fundamental problem, which is a supply problem," Slotkin argued.
While she applauds elements of both Trump's and Democratic leader Chuck Schumer's recent housing proposals, she deems them insufficient. "It’s just not big enough, it’s not bold enough... A year into the Trump administration, they’ve done literally zero on this problem," she criticised.
A President Pivoted to Foreign Policy
Slotkin contends that Trump has largely abandoned the domestic cost-of-living issues he campaigned on, instead becoming a "foreign policy president." She noted that in his first year, Trump has ordered military operations in nine different locations – more than any president in history.
His recent aggressive actions, from bombing Venezuela and capturing its leader to threatening to seize Greenland by force, have left Slotkin dismayed, particularly regarding NATO alliances. "It is beyond the pale that we have the United States of America talking about using military action in a fellow NATO country," she said.
Despite the focus on affordability as a winning electoral strategy, Slotkin plans to argue next month that democracy itself is a kitchen-table issue. "If the rules of our democracy get broken or get rigged, fundamentally that will affect our freedom here at home," she concluded, framing the current political struggle as fundamental to everyday American life.
