Donald Trump, Martial Law & TikTok Conspiracies Collide in a Storm of Paranoia and Hashtags
“Donald Trump” and “martial law” are trending again. If this isn’t enough to do away with TikTok, what is? Fear, fantasy and federal policy are all on the menu. Trump signed an executive order on Inauguration Day with a very specific ask: get the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security to hand him a report by April 20 about what’s really happening at the Southern border. He also asked…whether the Insurrection Act of 1807 might need to be dusted off. Wait a sec…what is that?
“The Insurrection Act of 1807 is a United States federal law that empowers the President of the United States to deploy the U.S. military and federalized National Guard troops within the United States in particular circumstances, such as to suppress civil disorder, insurrection or rebellion.” – Wiki
We all know Trump is what he is, but what happened next is mostly a lot of trash…at least for the 20th of April.
READ: Donald Trump Floats Third Term Despite Constitutional Roadblocks
People are now predicting a dystopian America under martial law. The hashtag #martiallaw has popped up in ore than 21,000 posts, with some creators saying we’re days away from tanks in the streets and curfews in suburbia. One TikTok maven said, “The only way [Trump] has to do this is to declare and publish a proclamation that orders these parties to disperse.” But Trump never said that.
Again, Trump’s date marks a deadline for a report, not a declaration of martial law or military mobilization.
Also, the Insurrection Act and martial law are not the same thing. So let us get it right. The Insurrection Act is centuries old and has been used a few times. They employed it to crush the KKK (wink wink) and later George H.W. Bush used it after the Rodney King verdict. Martial law is a full constitutional override. Everything about the nation is postponed or suspended. Civil liberties, civilian courts, freedom of speech and assembly are all gone. In my opinion, this is actually on the menu. NOW.
Back in the day, Ice-T had a skit that really captured the vibes.
So these TikTokers are wrong, but they may be right in due time. Yes, the executive order explicitly addresses “operational control of the Southern border,” and nothing rolling out troops in Times Square. BUT…I would not put it past them over the next four years. I think Black folks need to stay home as we have so we can’t be targeted like we have in the past. We’ve noticed there is an ABSENCE of military since they took to the streets. I think we have a quorum here.
For a glimpse into the future, check out the movie 2073 because it will open your eyes.