The Daily Signal - Victor Davis Hanson: Democrats Cried ‘Insurrection’—Now They’re Encouraging One

Episode Date: November 25, 2025

Six Democrat lawmakers urged members of the military to openly defy their commands from President Donald Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth last week.   Their video sent shock waves through the political narrative as Trump called their actions “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH” on Truth Social. But this Democrat insurrection is not new, as they’ve spent the past year openly encouraging defiance of federal law, from sanctuary cities to calls for soldiers to ignore orders. Victor Davis Hanson breaks down this disturbing trend on the left on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words.”   “ We have 600 jurisdictions in which blue cities and states say that the federal law no longer applies in their jurisdiction. That's sort of neo-Confederate nullification that's prompted the Civil War. And you know, when Jefferson Davis, when he ordered South Carolina troops to fire on Fort Sumter, all he was doing was saying that the federal government is at war with the state. That's what our mayors are doing in these blue jurisdictions.”   (0:00) Introduction(0:11) Historical Context (3:10) Nullification by Local Authorities(7:40) The Left's Broader Agenda   Daily Signal today. You’ll be notified every time a new piece of content drops: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/dailysignal?sub_confirmation=1⁠    👉Want more VDH? Watch Victor’s weekly, hour-long podcast, “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words,” now! Subscribe to his YouTube channel, and enabling notification:  ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@victordavishanson7273?sub_confirmation=1⁠    👉More exclusive content are available on Victor’s website: ⁠https://victorhanson.com⁠    👉The Daily Signal cannot continue to tell stories, like this one, without the support of our viewers: ⁠https://secured.dailysignal.com/⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get no frills, delivered. Shop the same in-store prices online and enjoy unlimited delivery with PC Express Pass. Get your first year for $2.50 a month. Learn more at p.c.express.ca. I'd like to talk about insurrection chic. By that I mean, this phenomenon of the Democrats, maybe the left in general, it's talking about ways of undermining the jurisdiction of our own federal government. Did you ever see the movie seven days in May, 1964, about, about. an officer, General Scott, I think he was played by Bert Lancaster, and he said, basically, we're going to nullify the presidential directives and not abide by a treaty of the federal government.

This is very ironic because the left lectured us on insurrection, insurrection, insurrection, but what's going on now is quite scary. Most recently, we had a number of Democratic congresspeople and senators were addressing soldiers, and they said, you have the right to disobey an order if it's on lawful. if it's unlawful. What was the point of telling 1.3 million soldiers that are now on active duty that you have the right to disobey a superior's order? Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for the Daily Signal. I'd like to talk about insurrection chic. By that I mean this phenomenon of the Democrats

in particular, and maybe the left in general, it's talking about ways of undermining the jurisdiction of our own federal government. I don't know what their model is. Is it Jefferson Davis, who ordered South Carolina state troops to fire on the federal fort at Fort Sumter, 1861, that ushered in the Civil War? Or maybe it's George Wallace, standing in the door step of the University of Alabama saying, were not going to here in Alabama obey state law on segregation and racial discrimination. Or maybe did you ever see the movie seven days in May, 1964, about an officer, General Scott. I think he was played by Bert Lancaster. And he said, basically, we're going to nullify the presidential directives and not obey by a treaty of the federal government, try to essentially overthrow the government. This is very ironic because the left lectured us on insurrection, insurrection, even though special counsel Jack Smith never charged Donald Trump with insurrection.

But what's going on now is quite scary. And it's not new. in the first term, we had a number of four-star retired admirals and generals who violated Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice that said even retired flag officers were subject to the statute that says you shall not disparage the President of the United States. Yet they called him Mussolini. They said that he was analogous to the people at Auschwitz. He was a liar. We had one officer who said the sooner, the better Trump should be removed. We have elections for that. We don't. talk like that. We had two lieutenant colonels that said they bragged that the 101st Airborne would beat the Secret Service and force Donald Trump to get out of the White House. It's pretty awful. Now, lately, it's getting very scary. We've had the mayor of New York says that federal law essentially doesn't exist in the city of New York when he takes over. It's international law and that he will arrest Benjamin Netanyahu is under diplomatic protection as a foreign dignitary visiting the U.N.

What's he going to do, order the NYPD to stop this secret service that may be protecting Netanyahu when he arrives as a guest? We had Mayor Johnson in Chicago say that he was not going to obey federal law. In fact, he was going to oppose it. That wasn't just, I don't know, theoretical because when ICE was trapped at convoy, of ICE agents were trapped as Chicago area police force did not come to their aid by explicit orders not to. In Los Angeles, Karen Bass said that city officials are conspiring, working to tip off illegal aliens against the efforts of the federal government to stop them. In California, Nancy Pelosi, who had called the President of the United States the most vile creature in the world,

the worst creature in the world, a vile creature, and who tore up the state of the union address on national TV, she said that state law enforcement might arrest federal officials who were enforcing the immigration statutes. What would that be a shootout or what would that be? It's getting very, very scary. And then most recently, we had a number of Democratic congresspeople and senators say in a video that they were addressing soldiers, and they said, you have the right to disobey an order if it's unlawful. They never gave one example of any order, of any order that Donald Trump or any member of the administration or any senior officer had issued anyone that was deemed illegal. What was the point of that? What was the point of telling you?

1.3 million soldiers that are now on active duty that you have the right to disobey a superior's order. Did they quote Article 90 and 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice? No. It outlines specifically the very, very, very, very rare conditions under which a soldier can say, what you ordered me is unlawful. And you know what they are. There are things like using violence in an improper way against another person or deserted, but there's no example that they can give, none at all. We have 600 jurisdictions in which blue cities and states say that the federal law no longer applies in their jurisdiction. That's sort of neo-confederate nullification that's prompted the civil war. And, you know, when the Jefferson Davis, when he ordered South

Carolina troops to fire on Fort Sumter, all he was doing was saying that the federal government is at war with the state. That's what our mayors are doing in these blue jurisdictions. Do they believe that that is a principle that they would extend to everybody? No. If a county in Utah said, we're conservative, we don't believe in the, I don't know, the Endangered Species Act, we're not going to stop construction from a four-pod nude. Would they say that's fine? You can nullify federal law? No, they wouldn't. If somebody in Montana said that I don't like federal gun registration, it just hampers the people in our county. It doesn't apply here. Would the left say, yes, that's what we do with immigration? Congratulations. No. So what's going on? Why are they

nullifying federal law? Why are they advising protesters in Portland how to avoid arrest by federal authorities. Why are they telling people in all of these blue jurisdictions that they will appeal to a higher authority, the United Nations? Mayor Johnson says he'll call in the UN, the commission on human rights. Is he going to abide by that commission that in the past has had members like, I don't know, communist China, North Korea, Iran? Is that who he thinks have a higher authority than the Constitution? Does he understand that President of the United States was elected by a majority of the population who voted. So this is getting very, very scary. And why are they doing it? The left has no power in the legislative, executive, or judicial

branch of government. Their agenda is one that most people do not want, and they want to create as much Tesla's. In the past, that has included firebombing Tesla dealerships that has involved street protests that turned violent against ICE, that has involved social media celebrating assassins and violence, and now it's nullification of federal laws that in the Constitution, in the Constitution take precedent over local and state laws when federal officers are trying to protect federal property as they are now, and federal enforce federal statutes as they are now. In other words, the left is neo-Confederate and insurrectionary,

and it should stop before we get into 1861 again. Thank you very much. This is Victor Davis-Hansson for The Daily Signal. Thank you for tuning in to The Daily Signal. Please like, share, and subscribe to be notified for more content like this. You can also check out my own website at victorhansen.com and subscribe for exclusive features in addition.