“Don’t give up the ship.” This phrase became famous when Captain James Lawrence uttered it while mortally wounded during the battle between his ship, the USS Chesapeake, and the British frigate HMS Shannon off the coast of Boston during the War of 1812.

Unfortunately for the captain, even though his phrase became legendary within the Navy, his ship was ultimately captured by the British — a fitting reminder that slogans don’t replace strategy or leadership.

Now, a group of Democrat lawmakers is trying to resurrect that same rallying cry in a glossy, minute-and-a-half political ad urging military troops and intelligence officials to defy orders they personally decide are “illegal.” They never mention Donald Trump by name, of course, but the implication is about as subtle as a sledgehammer. We all know exactly which commander-in-chief they’re encouraging the bureaucracy to resist.

The video, posted Tuesday by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, features her alongside Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Reps. Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6), Maggie Goodlander (NH-2), and Jason Crow (CO-6). Yes — all former military or intel personnel, now using their service as political armor while effectively telling current troops to ignore the chain of command if they feel like it:

In her post on X, Slotkin said the group wanted to speak “directly” to service members, claiming “the American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.”

Kelly, a former Navy pilot, accused the Trump administration of “pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,” echoing similar claims from Crow and Slotkin.

At several points in the video, Kelly, Slotkin, and Deluzio repeat the line: “You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders.”

Goodlander joined Kelly in reminding viewers that “like us, you swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution.”

No, they didn’t explicitly urge viewers to “rise up in insurrection” or “betray your country.” However, with Democratic leaders increasingly using violent language during the Trump era, along with assassination attempts on the president and the killing of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, it certainly does not appear that the divisive rhetoric is being toned down, despite claims to the contrary. In fact, this seems to be a recurring theme that Democrats themselves frequently mention: a dog whistle.

The group implied that the United States is under siege from a dark force within our own borders. It’s not difficult to deduce what dark force they are referring to:

Deluzio and Crow went further, warning that threats to the Constitution are coming “from right here at home,” a clear swipe at Trump.

The lawmakers acknowledged they were asking troops to make difficult judgments during what they called a “hard” moment for public servants.

“But whether you serve in the CIA, the Army, the Navy, or the Air Force, your vigilance is critical,” they said. “The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.”

They closed the video with the repeated message: “Don’t give up the ship.”

 

While the individuals featured in the video can claim plausible deniability—since they did not explicitly endorse unlawful actions or openly promote violence—their message remains unmistakable: Democrats, you are morally obligated to incite greater chaos and uncertainty.

Imagine if Republicans had recorded a video like this during Joe Biden’s term; Democrats would have lost their minds. These people are sick, and they’re only getting sicker the deeper we get into Trump’s second term.