Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX) is picking a fight with President Donald Trump over his harsh condemnation of Democrats calling on the military to disobey what they consider 'unlawful orders.'

During an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” McCaul called on Trump to "tone down the rhetoric," after Trump called Democrats' actions seditious and undermining the chain of command by usurping the president's authority over the military. 

Democrat Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and other Democrats ignited a firestorm by calling on the military to disobey Trump's orders in relation to military strikes on drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea.

Trump's orders that mandate the use of lethal force against drug cartels are unquestionably legal, if not controversial, and Democrats openly calling on the military to disobey those orders really comes close to open sedition.

Democrat sedition

Trump has called for a serious response to Democrats like Slotkin, suggesting that they should be arrested for treason. No doubt, if the sides were switched, Democrats wouldn't hesitate to call for Trump's arrest.

Hostess Martha Raddatz opened the interview with McCaul, asking, "Good morning, Congressman. I would like your response to the video itself that Senator Slotkin and the others put out?"

McCaul responded by making it clear that there is nothing illegal about Trump's conduct by saying, "I don’t speak for the president in terms of hanging members of Congress. But I will say these orders that they’re talking about, in my judgment, are not illegal orders to follow. They are orders based upon Article 2 self-defense of the Constitution to stop a threat, in this case, the threat of drugs coming into our country and killing Americans."

However, Raddatz claimed that Trump was 'threatening death' against Democrats who called on the military to disobey orders. While Trump has called for arrests and other consequences, there were no death threats, a patently ridiculous claim.

Dropping the ball

McCaul seriously dropped the ball and failed to push back on these insane claims and instead opted for a more neutral response.

McCaul responded by saying, "My advice, though not on his White House, but I would tone down the rhetoric and tone down the theme here. I would emphasize more what I discussed, and that these orders are not illegal."

Hearing yet another Republican tone policing Trump is frustrating. When Trump pushes the envelope, Democrats screech about death threats, but Democrats attempted to imprison Trump for years over fake allegations that he committed insurrection.

Double standards

Democrats claimed for years that Trump attempted to incite a riot and overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and called for his imprisonment. There were no concerns about tone policing then.

Whereas the case against Trump was flimsy and contrived, the video of Democrats calling on the military to commit sedition is available for all to see.

Living by precedents set by Democrats, calling for the arrest of Senator Slotkin is entirely justified. Making up fake death threats to obfuscate the situation will do no favors for Democrats' credibility.