As ‘Hands Off!’ protests erupted across all 50 states over the weekend, the US president did not urge for calm or unity. Instead, he defended his policy to deport immigrants, or as the White House called them, ‘illegal aliens’.
Jason Pack, host of the Disorder Podcast, told Metro about America’s path to martial law under Trump and how it may be ‘the only way for him to stay in power’.
What would be Trump’s ‘excuse’ for martial law?
Claims about Trump’s plan to declare martial law on April 20 – a date also known for being Adolf Hitler’s birthday – first began circulating on TikTok over the weekend.
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They are expected to recommend whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 for purposes of border enforcement.
Jason explained this would be the administration’s first step in the path to eventually declaring martial law, but said the ‘Hands Off!’ protests are likely to be used as the excuse to do it.
He said: ‘Trump does not need further Congressional approval for that. If he can prove that protests are a threat to any Federal employees entering Federal buildings, or are a threat to the functioning of Federal institutions, he can then invoke the Insurrection Act and establish martial law.
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‘That is the opportunity to use the Insurrection Act. And similarly to calling a National Emergency this will allow various civil liberties to be taken away from people.’
How could martial law benefit Trump?
Jason said there is a ‘desire to get to a position to have martial law’ as this will allow a certain kind of deflection from the ‘tanking’ economy.
Since Trump entered the White House for a second term, the market has declined at a speed and scale unseen since the start of the pandemic.
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‘Trump will be very happy to be able to revoke freedoms and due process in a way that he could not do in the first term due to his inability to put down the Black Lives Matter protests,’ he said.
‘This is part of the reason why he likes disorder. Because disorder allows people to be afraid and to be willing to tear up the norms of a healthy rule of law based democracy.
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‘Trump would love to use this disorder to get rid of the checks and balances that underpin our democracy.’
Has martial law ever been ordered in the US before?
Martial law allows the military to take over normal the civilian functions – including law enforcement, courts and governance.
It is typically used only in war, rebellion, or a total collapse of civil authority.
In the US, it has been used in a limited number of occasions, like after big disasters, such as the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the San Francisco earthquake in 1906, or during the Civil Rights Movement.
* Original Article:
https://metro.co.uk/2025/04/09/donald-trumps-excuse-declare-martial-law-stay-power-22877929/amp/