A federal grand jury in Washington, DC, refused to indict Democratic Senators Mark Kelly (Arizona) and Elissa Slotkin (Michigan) on charges of seditious conspiracy in a case brought forward after President Donald Trump criticized a video about "illegal orders."

According to The New York Times, the decision represents a setback for The Trump administration's attempts to secure formal charges against six Democratic legislators linked to the video.

The video that sparked the controversy

The case originated from a video posted by Kelly, Slotkin, and other legislators, in which they urged members of the armed forces and the intelligence community not to obey illegal orders. The Democrats, several of whom have military or intelligence experience, stated that their message was limited to citing the law and advocating compliance with the legal framework.

Trump called the content "seditious behavior" and harshly criticized the legislators. He even claimed that his communications with military personnel could have serious consequences, including death, although he later clarified in a radio interview with Brian Kilmeade that he was not threatening the senators with death, but that he considered them to be “in serious trouble.”

Political pressure alleged in the investigation

On her According to the senator, the action was in response to pressure from President Trump. Slotkin celebrated the grand jury's decision, stating that it "upholds the rule of law" and should put an end to what she called a politicized investigation. Meanwhile, Senator Mark Kelly accused Trump of engaging in an "outrageous abuse of power" and attempting to silence dissenting voices within the country. He also asserted that the actions against him escalated from censorship and threats of demotion by the Secretary of Defense.