Trump Accuses Democrats of Betrayal

A day after Democrats reiterated that U.S. service members must refuse unlawful orders, former President Donald Trump labeled Democrats “traitors” while criticizing the remarks, according to a post on his Truth Social account and clips shared from a campaign event. The Democratic comments echoed standing military law that troops are obligated to disobey illegal commands, a principle outlined in the Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The military standard at issue is not new: service members may not carry out unlawful orders, and can be disciplined for doing so, according to the DoD’s manual and UCMJ Article 92, which governs failure to obey lawful orders. Trump’s escalation in language landed as Congress haggles over year‑end health policy items, sharpening partisan lines as negotiators weigh Medicare payment adjustments and other health funding decisions.

The juxtaposition of civil‑military norms and health financing is unusual but consequential. In Washington, attention is divided between political rhetoric and technical fixes to stabilize payments to doctors and hospitals, which ripple into premiums and access to care, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Background on Healthcare Payment Talks

Negotiators on Capitol Hill are working through a familiar list of “health extenders” and payment policies often bundled into year‑end legislation, including potential tweaks to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and funding for community health centers, according to CMS program calendars and recent committee work. Even small adjustments to Medicare’s conversion factor can affect physician participation and practice stability nationwide, CMS materials note.

The broader backdrop includes Affordable Care Act marketplace subsidies and Medicaid financing issues that shape premiums and hospital uncompensated care. Marketplace enrollment windows also put pressure on timing: families are making 2026 plan choices now, with open enrollment underway, according to HealthCare.gov.

Deadlines drive urgency. Many health programs traditionally expire on December 31 unless renewed, prompting last‑minute bargaining over offsets and policy riders. That timing raises the stakes for hospitals and clinics planning staffing and budgets for the first quarter of the new year.

Impact and Reactions

Trump’s “traitors” line hardens partisan positions and could complicate trust at the bargaining table, where narrow margins already force cross‑party votes on health measures. Democratic aides have framed their comments about unlawful orders as a restatement of settled law rather than a political threat, pointing to longstanding Pentagon guidance on the duty to refuse illegal commands.

Military policy documents are unambiguous: “Service members are bound to comply with the law of war” and may be criminally liable for obeying manifestly unlawful orders, the Defense Department’s Law of War Manual states. That baseline—which applies regardless of who occupies the White House—was the reference point for Democrats’ remarks.

Health‑sector groups, meanwhile, are urging Congress to separate policy from political theater and focus on predictable payment updates. Hospitals and physician practices say delayed or uncertain action risks tighter margins, reduced appointment availability, and longer wait times if cuts take effect on January 1 without a fix, according to CMS payment guidance and industry analyses.

Local Impact: Bismarck–Mandan

For Bismarck residents, the immediate stakes are practical: Medicare payment policy affects local systems like Sanford Medical Center Bismarck and CHI St. Alexius Health, which rely on predictable reimbursement to staff clinics and keep specialty services available. Any delay in a year‑end “doc fix” or changes to site‑neutral payment policy can influence scheduling, physician recruitment, and the mix of services offered locally, according to CMS’s Medicare Physician Fee Schedule overview.

Families shopping on the ACA marketplace should keep to open‑enrollment timelines even as Congress negotiates. Compare plans and subsidies at HealthCare.gov, and use the North Dakota Insurance Department’s consumer resources for help with questions about coverage networks and costs.

Voices from the Field

Legal scholars and civil‑military experts point out that the underlying dispute is more rhetorical than legal. The duty to refuse unlawful orders is codified, and military training reinforces that standard throughout a service member’s career, according to the Defense Department’s Law of War Manual and UCMJ Article 92.

Health policy analysts caution that political noise can obscure concrete decisions with near‑term effects on clinics and patients. Stability in Medicare payments and continued funding for community health centers rank at the top of year‑end priorities because they influence access and wait times, according to CMS program summaries and provider briefings.

Local veterans’ advocates in North Dakota regularly emphasize apolitical military professionalism and adherence to lawful authority. That tradition—separate from day‑to‑day campaign rhetoric—remains a bedrock norm even as national debate intensifies, a point consistent with Defense Department training materials.

What’s Next for Healthcare and Political Discourse?

Congress is expected to decide on a health “extenders” package and any Medicare physician payment adjustments before December 31 to avoid automatic cuts taking effect on January 1, according to CMS’s annual payment timelines. If negotiators slip past the deadline, lawmakers could attempt a retroactive fix, but providers warn that even brief gaps can disrupt scheduling and cash flow.

On the civil‑military front, the Pentagon typically avoids weighing in on campaign rhetoric but may reiterate standing legal guidance if confusion arises. Expect both parties to test sharper messaging as negotiations crest, even as committee staff work to finalize technical language behind the scenes.

What to Watch

• Dec. 31: Common expiration date for health program “extenders” and the practical cutoff for a year‑end Medicare payment fix.

• Open enrollment: Marketplace plan selection is underway; check HealthCare.gov for current deadlines and options.

• Any Pentagon restatement of guidance on unlawful orders, which would likely reference existing law rather than new policy.

Resources: DoD Law of War Manual; UCMJ Article 92; CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule overview; HealthCare.gov; North Dakota Insurance Department consumer assistance; Sanford Medical Center Bismarck; CHI St. Alexius Health.

DoD Law of War Manual (PDF) — Official guidance on lawful and unlawful orders

UCMJ Article 92 — Statute on obeying lawful orders

CMS: Medicare Physician Fee Schedule — How Medicare pays clinicians and annual updates

HealthCare.gov — Enrollment dates and plan options

ND Insurance Department — Consumers — Local help comparing plans and resolving coverage issues

Sanford Medical Center Bismarck — Local hospital information

CHI St. Alexius Health Bismarck — Local hospital information

Truth Social: @realDonaldTrump — Trump’s official social feed for statements