Congressman Jason Crow (00:00):
...criminal charges based on a video that we filmed last year simply reminding our fellow service members to follow the law and the Constitution. They failed, and they will always fail. Every American should be appalled that Donald Trump and his political goons in the Justice Department have weaponized our Justice Department, their Justice Department against his political opponents using American taxpayer dollars, using American prosecutors and investigators that should be focused on cyber crime, healthcare fraud, organized crime, violent crime, the things that Americans deserve and demand their Justice Department and criminal justice system be focused on, instead focused on absurd fabricated charges.
(00:53)
But let's be honest, this was not about us, and it really wasn't about the video. This was about Donald Trump trying to send a message. A message that if you dare step out of line, if you dare dissent and speak up and push back against his agenda, that you will be crushed. That the consequences of dissent will be too high for Americans to bear.
(01:20)
Well, they failed in sending that message too. Instead, what they have done is awakened the courage, the tenacity, and the resilience of the American people who are stepping up to retake their country and their democracy. The tide is turning.
(01:40)
So I have a message for them, for the Trump administration. If you are turning your back on the law, if you are turning the back on the Constitution, if you are cowing to Donald Trump and abusing process and abusing the American system of justice, that we will come and seek accountability against you. That you cannot hide and escape accountability, justice is coming. The American people demand it. The American people deserve it, and we will lead that relentless pursuit for justice.
(02:18)
We are taking names. We are creating lists. My lawyers just sent a letter today to the Department of Justice putting them on notice that there will be costs. We will not just sit back and let them lob false allegations after false allegations at us. There will be costs, and those costs start today. That is our message to them. And my message to the American people is if you continue to stand up, patriotic Americans of good conscience, we will continue to lead. We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with you to keep you safe and to bring you along with us. That is our duty. That is our promise. That is our oath, and we will never back down.
(03:07)
So with that, I couldn't be more proud to introduce my dear friend, Air Force veteran and colleague, Chrissy Houlahan.
Congressman Chrissy Houlahan (03:19):
And wow, powerful, powerful words and a powerful message, and I'm really grateful to be here on the stage with my colleagues and friends in service.
(03:29)
Good afternoon, and let me start by saying and echoing something that Mr. Crow just said. This is a victory, but it's not a victory for me. It's not about me. It's not about us. This is a victory for the Constitution of the United States, and it's a victory for every American who refuses to be intimidated into silence.
(03:49)
As mentioned, since January 2025 under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office has turned to a federal grand jury to prosecute and persecute President Trump's perceived enemies. When prosecutions like this repeatedly fail, as we have been seeing, it raises serious questions about the overreach and politicization of our justice system.
(04:16)
So just last night, as mentioned, a grand jury in DC was not having any of that. It very quickly and very soundly rejected the Trump administration's effort to criminalize our lawful, Constitutionally protected speech. And this is really important because when the federal government is actively and publicly targeting political opponents for what they say, we are normalizing the use of government power to punish political or personal opponents.
(04:44)
Last night, immediately following the announcement of the dismissal of our case, so to speak, immediately after the fact that the news broke, our Speaker Johnson said, "It's probably a crime, and yeah, they probably ought to be indicted." This from a man who has never worn a uniform, or the uniform, suggesting that we should be prosecuted for telling our fellow uniform patriots to follow the law.
(05:10)
I want to respond directly to that. Freedom is not free. Our service to this nation is what allows Speaker Johnson to say the things that he says. Our service is what protects Speaker Johnson's speech. Even when he says things that are malicious and uninformed, our service protects him even when he lies.
(05:30)
My father, a career Navy man, believed in the Constitution so strongly that he often told me that he served so that if someone wanted to do something as outrageous and disrespectful as burning the flag, that they could. I served for the same reason. I serve, and serve now, so that Speaker Johnson can speak freely, even when he's dead wrong.
(05:53)
The Constitution is not a buffet. You don't get to pick the parts you like and ignore the rest. You don't get to swear an oath to defend it and then weaponize the government against it. And the First Amendment is not optional. It is not conditional. It does not expire because someone who's in power is threatened by it. It does, thankfully, limit the power of our government, especially when that power is tempted to punish lawful speech. Those rights and limits must be respected by this administration and by every administration.
(06:22)
President Trump has been on a tear to weaponize the machinery of government. In this case, he has turned those very principles against our government that our government exists to defend. His actions corrode the very institutions that we all depend on, and that's why my colleagues and I made this video. And that's why my colleagues and I will not stop speaking. I, and they, will not stop saying what needs to be said. I, and they, are still here and I, and they, are not done. We are not done. Our oath is to the Constitution, not to any one person, and I, and we, I'm sure, intend to honor that oath.
(06:59)
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you with this illustrious group of amazing people. It's my privilege to turn this over to my friend and fellow Pennsylvanian, Congressman Deluzio.
Congressman Chris Deluzio (07:10):
Thank you, Chrissy. I'm proud to stand with each of you here. Pretty wild news alert to receive on your phone last night. And I can joke about that, but we should be honest about what it is that almost happened. The Trump administration and their allies and Justice Department tried to charge us with a crime to throw us in prison for saving the law, Americans, veterans, members of Congress for saying things they don't like. Their answer was to try to throw us in prison.
(07:40)
They want to scare not just us. They want to scare the American people who are courageously standing up for our freedom, who dissent patriotically. They want to intimidate us. They want to intimidate them. I'm not going to be intimidated. No one up here is going to be intimidated. The American people should not be intimidated.
(07:59)
Patriotism demands courage in this moment in the face of those who would abuse our liberty, who would abuse their power, who would take away our freedom. That is what patriotism demands. I have great faith in the American people. I have great faith in our Constitution, and I have little doubt that Donald Trump and those around him are willing to abuse their power. We've seen it with us, with other perceived political opponents. There has to be accountability and there has to be justice, and I know that all of us will see that through.
(08:35)
And I would close with don't give up the ship, but I want to say something about what that means. I'm a Naval Academy graduate. If anyone's been there, Memorial Hall where we honor all of our alumni who've died for this country, there's a big blue flag right there that says, "Don't give up the ship," the dying commands of the captain named James Lawrence, the then flagship of Oliver Hazard Perry when he sailed off and beat the British in the Battle of Lake Erie. It was a rallying cry that when our country was on our heels, we would redouble our efforts and commitment to it. So that is why we, and I, say don't give up the ship. That is the moment for this country. It is exactly what patriotism requires.
(09:11)
I'm honored now to introduce from the great state of New Hampshire, Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander.
Congressman Maggie Goodlander (09:15):
Well, amen to that. It is a great state.
Congressman Chris Deluzio (09:24):
Not a commonwealth.
Congressman Maggie Goodlander (09:27):
The state that made the nation.
(09:30)
What brings us here today together is the most powerful force the world has ever known, and that is love. Love for our country and love for this great Constitution. We swore an oath to this Constitution for all of us many times throughout our life. And when you swear an oath, you don't take that oath as a Democrat or as a Republican. You swear that oath as an American, and that is what we have done. And honoring our oath means doing our jobs and exercising our rights and freedoms under this great Constitution.
(10:10)
Today, anyone who swears an oath to the Constitution needs to know that fellow citizens and the United States Congress have their back as they uphold that oath. And the fact that the President of the United States became so unglued by a cornerstone and completely uncontroversial principle of American law, a principle of law that was born of the hard-earned, the unparalleled tragedies of the Holocaust, a principle that has always guided us, a principle that makes us who we are as Americans, the fact that he became so unglued by it breaks my heart. It is truly sad, and it is downright dangerous.
(10:56)
What happened yesterday, federal prosecutors, at the direction of the President, seeking to indict members of Congress for doing their jobs, for saying what the law says, it should shock the conscience of every freedom-loving American. But it should also focus our attention because what this is all about is an effort to distract the American people, and that will not work. It is an effort to intimidate and to silence, and that will not work either because we love this country. We love this Constitution. We swore an oath to it, and we will uphold that oath for every day that we are honored to serve this country.
Congressman Jason Crow (11:46):
Thank you all. Questions?
Speaker 5 (11:50):
Thank you, sir. Are y'all planning to file any lawsuits against the DOJ at any time?
Congressman Jason Crow (11:55):
Well, I'm not going to get into legal strategy, but we've been very clear that actions will have consequences, that there are attempts to weaponize America's justice system against political opponents will have cost. So that's actually a ball that's in the Trump administration's court. We've been very clear about our position and that it needs to stop. If it doesn't stop, then we'll take all necessary actions.
(12:22)
Yes, sir.
Jonathan Salant (12:23):
Jonathan Salant, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. We've seen in other cases, especially the Attorney General of New York, where they've tried to get an indictment in one place, couldn't do it, tried another US attorney to try to get another indictment. Is there's any concern that the Trump administration is going to try to find somebody else to try to indict you.
Congressman Chris Deluzio (12:39):
Jonathan, as I said, I have both great faith in the American people and little doubt of Donald Trump and those from around him being willing to abuse their power. So I have no prediction on what they will do. The fact of the matter is what they've already done has been outrageous and lawless and has to stop. It should have stopped a long time ago, but I have no prediction what they will do.
Megan Mineiro (12:56):
Megan Mineiro of The New York Times. Have you directly asked House or Senate Republican leadership to condemn the attempt to prosecute you for the video?
Congressman Jason Crow (13:06):
Well, we haven't had to do that on the Democratic side. They've been very clear about this position. And unfortunately, Speaker Johnson has been very clear that his long-time selling of his soul to Donald Trump is thoroughly complete at this point. So I'm not going to hold my breath for Congressional Republicans to do the right thing, but I've also been very clear that it's never too late to do the right thing. My door is always open to folks who want to join with us to reestablish Congressional authority in the rebalance of our Constitution and to focus on their oaths.
Congressman Chrissy Houlahan (13:43):
From my position, I will say that I've been really disappointed by my Republican colleagues, and I've said this publicly before. With one exception, was I approached by one fellow member, mostly to say that it was okay to say what I said. And after today's news, or last night's news, I still haven't had one Republican colleague say anything. And that is enormously disappointing to me because we do take this oath, all of us, without party affiliation associated with it. And the idea that not a single person can recognize that justice is done, justice was done, is really disappointing.
Congressman Jason Crow (14:26):
Yes.
Megan Mineiro (14:26):
Following up on that, I'm wondering if the rest of you have heard from Republicans in the House or Senate and what conversations, if any, you've had with the Republicans who are veterans?
Congressman Jason Crow (14:38):
I've heard from a few, a startlingly small number of folks, per Ms. Houlahan's point, which is imminently disappointing and frankly why a lot of people just need to pack their bags and get out of here and go someplace home so that real leaders can step up and help move our country in a better direction.
Congressman Maggie Goodlander (15:00):
I think Senator Tom Tillis from North Carolina, his reaction I think really captures the heart of this, that this rank weaponization of the Department of Justice is dangerous for our country. Our system is being tested in ways it's never been tested before. The fact that a grand jury of fellow Americans honored their oath to the Constitution and did the right thing yesterday is a good day. It's a win for the Constitution. But this is not the country that we've all known and loved for our whole lives. This shouldn't be happening, and that's a view I think every American can get on board with.
Speaker 8 (15:47):
I'm sure the Trump administration if asked now why it pressed the case that it did would say, "Hey, listen, nobody is above the law. We have to pursue what we think is wrongdoing." Where do you guys draw the line? How does one determine what is political prosecution versus legitimate action on behalf of the administration?
Congressman Jason Crow (16:06):
Well, with the Trump administration, they think they're above the law. I mean, that's pretty clear, right? From violating over a third of their court orders, to murdering innocent civilians on the streets of Minneapolis, to arresting people without due process, without hearings, from deporting American citizens, to sending our military places around the world, bombing seven countries in the first year of the Trump administration without congressional authorization. And oh, by the way, doing nothing to reduce the cost of healthcare and housing and groceries for Americans.
(16:37)
So clearly they don't care, and they think they're above the law. And they've actually been very clear, right? I've learned to take Donald Trump's words and to listen to him. He actually came right out and said what he thought about this, and said this is because he wants to silence political opposition. So let's actually just listen to what the man says. And what he says is he wants to use the government against his political opponents.
Speaker 9 (17:06):
Just following up a bit on the question about the possibility of a lawsuit or next steps in general. Congressman Crow, you mentioned the letter your attorney sent to the DOJ. Has anyone else's attorney reached out in a similar manner yet?
Congressman Jason Crow (17:23):
Yeah, go ahead.
Congressman Chris Deluzio (17:26):
I mean, much like Mr. Crow, I'm not going to litigate and share our legal strategy here. There will be accountability, and they should be preserving documents preparing for what's coming.
Congressman Jason Crow (17:37):
Anything else? Megan?
Megan Mineiro (17:39):
Just to press that point again, so are you waiting to see what the next steps are from the administration or are you preparing to take legal action?
Congressman Jason Crow (17:47):
I'm not going to get into legal strategy right now. Anything else? All right.
Congressman Chrissy Houlahan (17:54):
Thank you.
Congressman Jason Crow (17:54):
Well, thank you all and don't give up the ship.
Audience (17:57):
[inaudible 00:18:15]