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Who are 'Seditious Six'? After DC National Guard shooting, Democrats' video under fire
Two National Guard members were shot in Washington DC today, near the White House, in what the mayor has called a ‘targeted attack’.
The six Democrats who made a video telling troops they could ‘refuse illegal orders’ are now facing flak after the shooting in Washington DC today. The incident on November 26 left two National Guard members critically injured, as per President Donald Trump.
The shooting took place just blocks away from the White House but the president was not present there at the time. The six lawmakers, who all have military or intelligence backgrounds, have been dubbed the ‘Seditious Six’ by Trump loyalists online. They have claimed that these lawmakers instigated the violence which found expression in what DC Mayor Muriel Bowser called a ‘targeted attack’.
Who are the ‘Seditious Six’?
The 'Seditious Six' as they have been dubbed by MAGA loyalists, include Senator Mark Kelly and Senator Elissa Slotkin, along with Representatives Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, and Chrissy Houlahan.
Also Read | National Guard shooting: 5 things to know about DC suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal
They made a video which they put on X, stating that troop members need not follow orders that were ‘illegal’ but did not specify what those orders might be. Trump had dubbed their video 'dangerous' and ‘seditious’ after which the name stuck.
Reactions to ‘Seditious Six’
Many on social media have slammed the six Democrat lawmakers, or the ‘Seditious Six’, linking their video to the violence that transpired in the nation's capital today.
Also Read | Mark Kelly video to service members faces MAGA wrath after National Guard troops shot in DC; 'blood on your hands'
“These people called for violence and made the hint. Today some leftist took them up on it. Blood is on the The Sedition Six's hands. They fueled the bullets,” a profile on X wrote, while sharing the video. Another commented on Attorney General Pam Bondi's remarks on the shooting today, saying “When are the Seditious Six going to be arrested? Enough is enough!”.
Yet another replied to Senator Mark Kelly's remarks on the incident saying, “The Seditious Six caused this.”
Kelly himself faced a lot of flak individually, with many saying the ‘blood’ from today's shooting is on the senator's hands. Meanwhile, he remarked, “Gabby and I are thinking of these servicemembers and their families, and praying for their recovery."
Notably, the attack has been described as a ‘targeted’ one where the suspect ‘ambushed’ the National Guard members by ‘coming around the corner’ and opening fire before other National Guard members intervened. The suspect is already in custody with CBS News reporting that he is one Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghani national who entered the US in 2021.
