Billboard campaign urging troops to disobey orders from Trump administration launches in Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. — If you’ve driven down Gandy Blvd. or even the Selmon Expressway over the course of the last week or so, you may have wondered about a new billboard targeting the troops.

It’s not a recruitment ad, but it is aimed at those currently serving, specifically at the MacDill Air Force base here in Tampa, who drive past the billboard daily, which is just about two miles away from there.

It’s funded by two nonprofit organizations called Defiance.org and WhistleblowerAid.org, who are starting this campaign here in Tampa and Doral, Fla., with the billboard that reads, “Obey Only Lawful Orders.”

It’s their attempt to fight back against what they believe have been unlawful orders by the Trump administration, which ordered service members, including those at MacDill, to carry out air strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Latin America earlier this fall.

“We’re making sure troops know their rights and that they’re not alone if they’re told to cross the line,” said Miles Taylor in a statement. He is a former DHS chief of staff under Donald Trump and co-founder of DEFIANCE.org. “The president may be the commander-in-chief, but even he is bound by the law. This campaign is a constitutional alarm bell to remind our servicemembers of that.”

The White House has insisted that these strikes are lawful and within their authority, but Democratic Party lawmakers disagree, sending out similar messaging to these billboards on social media. They have called these airstrikes illegal, given that the U.S. is not officially at war with Venezuela — and therefore, they argue international human rights law only allows lethal force when there is an imminent threat to life. They say a suspected drug-smuggling boat doesn’t meet that standard.

“You must refuse illegal orders,” Congressman Christ Deluzio (D-PA) said.

In addition to placing billboards, the nonprofits are also offering troops whistleblower hotlines, legal information and access to support organizations.