Watch Fox News' Martha MacCallum Grill Dem Who Told Military to Defy Trump

Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum clashed sharply with Democratic Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) on Wednesday after Crow defended a controversial video urging U.S. service members to defy what he called “illegal orders” from President Donald Trump — despite offering no evidence that the President has ever issued one.

Crow was one of six Democrats — all former military or intelligence officials — who appeared in a video posted by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), instructing troops to “ignore illegal orders.” The message quickly went viral and drew immediate backlash for its implication that President Trump is directing the military outside constitutional bounds.

During an interview on “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” the Fox News host repeatedly pushed Crow to cite any example of an illegal directive from the President. Crow dodged the question.

“I did make videos about it as a matter of fact. I pushed back on Joe Biden. I pushed back on Donald Trump. I pushed back on Barack Obama. I pushed back on George W. Bush because I had to fight those wars,” Crow said.

MacCallum pointed out that the Congressman’s accusations lacked specifics.

“But at least that was something specific… No, I think that what this president has said is that he has not taken us to war. That he wants to prevent war. That he wants to extract us from situations where we’re putting… We’ve said from the beginning that we won’t have any boots on the ground,” MacCallum countered.

Crow escalated, accusing President Trump of believing “there is never a situation he cannot bomb his way out of,” pointing to defensive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and missile strikes against drug-running vessels in the Caribbean. MacCallum said such vague allegations would sow doubt and confusion among active-duty troops.

“I’m trying to figure out specifically what your issue is,” she pressed. “And so for members, prominent members of the United States Congress to tell young men and women of the military that they should not abide by illegal orders and to leave it so vague and to talk about comments that have been made in the past and what they might lead to, I think could potentially be very confusing for young men and women who have committed to service, which you honorably did and I commend you for the sacrifice that you made.”

Crow insisted his warnings were necessary.

“Military service is tough. It’s really tough. We send our men and women into very difficult, very sometimes untenable situations. I know that. I’ve been in those situations. That’s why moral clarity. That’s why reminding people about what their obligations are,” he replied.

MacCallum did not let up, telling Crow directly that he and other Democrats had “grabbed something and twisted it and contorted it,” misleading young troops about their obligations under military law.

“Some might say that you have grabbed something and twisted it and contorted it,” she said. “You have you know, you’re talking to young members of the American military and you’re not telling them specifically what it is they should see as illegal. So you’re putting ideas into their head that maybe they’re being asked to do something illegal. And what we’re seeing actually is recruitment rising and people wanting to join the military under the president.”

Crow fired back that MacCallum did not trust service members to follow the law, to which she responded that she has “great respect” for the armed forces.

The Democrats’ video escalated further when Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) claimed President Trump was “pitting” military and intelligence personnel “against American citizens.” Slotkin, Kelly, and Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) reiterated in the video that troops may “refuse illegal orders,” a statement critics say deliberately blurs the line between lawful presidential authority and speculative hypotheticals.

Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, the president serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and oversees federal intelligence agencies, including the FBI and CIA.

Slotkin has repeatedly accused the military of infringing on constitutional rights, most recently during a heated June 18 exchange with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, in which she insinuated he ordered soldiers to use “lethal force” against peaceful protesters. Hegseth forcefully denied the accusation and warned her to be wary of misinformation.

Kelly later claimed to NBC News that service members could be placed in “legal jeopardy” if they discovered certain defensive strikes — such as the operations targeting drug-smuggling ships in the Caribbean — were unlawful.

Hegseth dismissed the Democrats’ narrative entirely, writing on X that the lawmakers are suffering from “Stage 4 [Trump Derangement Syndrome].”