It has been employed in various ways by different people and at different times. The Constitution does not refer to ‘martial law’ at all and no Act of Congress has defined the term. Supreme Court, 1946: he term ‘martial law’ carries no precise meaning. Supreme court summed it up in a 1946 decision stemming from martial law in Hawaii during World War II. But it’s worth explaining what, exactly, this ill-defined term means. So, martial law isn’t in effect and it’s not imminent. This is a humanitarian mission to support health and safety.” His office didn’t respond to a request for clarification, but a spokesman for the governor’s office, Brian Ferguson, has reportedly said: “We don’t want this to be scary for people. Newsom may have been referring to his powers under the state’s Emergency Services Act. Gavin Newsom said that he didn’t expect martial law would be necessary, but acknowledged that it’s an option.Īt a March 15 press briefing, a reporter noted that other states had been more forceful in closing down businesses and asked, “why not exercise your authority?” Newsom answered by saying: “f you want to establish a framework of martial law, which is ultimate authority and enforcement, we have the capacity to do that, but we are not, at this moment, feeling that is a necessity.”
Andrew Cuomo also has said he won’t institute martial law, and the Washington National Guard issued a statement on Twitter saying, “Let’s put aside the rumors about martial law or military rule. In fact, Federal Emergency Management Administrator Peter Gaynor said at a briefing with the president’s coronavirus task force on March 22, “we’ve had a lot of disinformation circulating and I want to make sure that it’s understood that this is not martial law.” There has been no declaration of martial law nationally or in any state as of March 25. The video warning of martial law was viewed more than 100,000 times, according to metrics shown on the site.Īnother conspiracy theorist who hawks doomsday preparation goods online, David Zublick, has claimed on his website and YouTube channel that “this is, basically, martial law.” Jones was banned from Facebook in 2019 for violating the company’s policies on “dangerous individuals and organizations,” but he still maintains a website and posts videos to his own video-sharing platform. “We are already under overlying fields, crisscrossing fields, of martial law,” Jones said in one recent video. That post linked to Alternative Media Television’s online store, which sells “emergency survival” gear and “emergency preparedness” food supplies.Īlex Jones, the conspiracy theorist behind the website, also has been pumping out misinformation on the issue while selling his own survivalist supplies, including face masks. It’s a murky concept that hasn’t been defined in American law - as we’ll explain later.Īs for the rumors hyping the idea that military rule is looming, the Facebook page for “ Alternative Media Television” recently warned its more than 145,000 followers: “STORM IS COMING TO AMERICA!!!! MARTIAL LAW NEXT 24 HOURS!!!!!!” Generally, martial law is military authority substituted for civil government during periods of unrest. The following day, Defense Secretary Mark Esper clarified: “To be clear, this is not a move toward martial law, as some have erroneously claimed.”Įsper was responding to persistent online rumors that martial law is either currently in place or very near. President Donald Trump mobilized the National Guard on March 22 in Washington, California and New York - three states that have been hit hard by COVID-19 - to assist with everything from distribution of food to set-up of medical tents. Those bogus reports are being pushed in some cases by those who sell emergency and survivalist products. Viral social media posts and videos have falsely claimed that “martial law imminent” in the U.S.
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