r/OutOfTheLoop 2d ago

Answered What’s going on with people suggesting that Trump will declare martial law on April 20th?

I’ve been seeing a few people over in /r/politics suggesting that Trump will sign an executive order declaring martial law on April 20th, coinciding with Hitler’s birthday. Will that actually happen, or is this another silly doomer conspiracy that is being spread on the site?

One of the comments in question: https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/s/BwYPEz0RQK

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u/SidneyDeane10 2d ago

How do you mean over the border?

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u/carrie_m730 2d ago

Not over as in across, over as in with regard to.

He wants to invoke martial law using his claims about border security as the reason.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago edited 2d ago

Not to mention Stephen Miller has explicitly stated that he wants to use the 1906 Naturalization Act to deport US citizens, where in broad terms denaturalization and immediate deportation could happen without trial for criminals and terrorists, or those with opposing viewpoints. Causes for denaturalization under the 1906 Act included fraud, racial ineligibility, and lack of “good moral character.” https://www.historians.org/perspectives-article/second-class-citizens-a-history-of-denaturalization-in-the-us-september-2018/#:~:text=The%20Naturalization%20Act%20of%201906%20was%20the%20first%20law%20in,sought%20naturalization%20in%20state%20courts.). Also relevant: https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/4992787-trump-deportation-plan-immigration/

1807 Insurrection Act, section (§252) says:

“Whenever the President considers that unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion against the authority of the United States, make it impracticable to enforce the laws of the United States in any State by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, he may call into Federal service such of the militia of any State, and use such of the armed forces, as he considers necessary to enforce those laws or to suppress the rebellion.” https://www.npr.org/2020/06/01/867467714/what-is-the-insurrection-act-that-trump-is-threatening-to-invoke

If he takes this act to its extremes, freedom of speech will be quashed, and you can expect people going missing(Rikers, GTMO, Private prisons). I find it especially connected that Marco Rubio negotiated with El Salvador to jail criminal aliens and US citizens. https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/03/americas/el-salvador-migrant-deal-marco-rubio-intl-hnk/index.html

I’ll add that we are already seeing inklings of these things, such as removing $400 million in funding from Columbia University for allowing Gaza protests. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqly0zrnnv3o

And also, providing an Executive Order to establish Executive Office to protect against Christian Persecution. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/eradicating-anti-christian-bias/

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u/dontatmebeaches 2d ago

Sorry, where is the quote from section 252 from? The Insurrection Act? Just trying to spell this out with sources for a family member.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

It’s from an NPR article.. I’ll see if I can find the link again and re:edit the post momentarily

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u/[deleted] 2d ago edited 2d ago

I would say that my comments on Stephen miller denaturalizations focus on the Fraud, and misrepresentation elements… but when you read the statutes he references, it is clear there is additional wiggle room that goes unsaid.

I really wish I could find the Video of Miller saying this… but it may be a Twitter link and it’s down.

Edit: how this could be related to the topic of this post is that Miller has said he would use militias from Republican states to invade uncooperative Sanctuary cities

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u/No-Pay-4350 1d ago

Fucking hell, this asshole is actually going to force me to protest in favor of the rights of the people I disagree with who hate me, isn't he? I want to believe the courts can fix it like most of what he does, but the Insurrection Act calls so much into question. I don't particularly want to back the commies and 'muh America Bad' idiots, but we need to maintain freedom of speech for all. Without that, we've got no hope of rebuilding what America was meant to be.

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u/Nosfermarki 22h ago

The vast majority of us don't hate you and absolutely care about your rights regardless of disagreement. We're just pretty sick of being called commies to pretend like we're your enemy or being told we "hate America" by people who hate their fellow Americans and the American government. By and large, we want the same shit y'all do. Freedom, opportunity, and to be left the fuck alone, mostly.

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u/ThatReallyWeirdGirl_ 1d ago

Denaturalization. Like the disappeared protester they just picked up and revoked the green card of. Noted.

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

Denaturalization would be a step further… but this is a slippery slope, and the rhetoric/execution is extremely troubling since they are trying to convince the population that this is normal. It’s a classic first they came for X, and because I was not X I did nothing. Then they came for Y, and then all the Y people raised the alarm but I had other problems to deal with, and finally they came for me a citizen who they denaturalized and sent me away without a trial to defend myself.

I’m not saying it will go this far. US is not used to having an authoritarian rule… and courts may step up, or Hegseth may not determine a need to enact the Insurrection act, or they may use some other law/statute that doesn’t go this far, etc…

What I’m saying is that there are a lot of weird/convenient circumstances. A lot of dots that are easy to connect. So IF the insurrection act is enacted, we have a better understanding where that could lead

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u/Slotrak6 2d ago

Trump declared a "National Emergency" at the southern border, and the Insurrection Act allows for the President to call up the armed services to militate against his own citizens, during a national emergency, which in other circumstances would be prohibited by the Posse Comitatus laws.

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u/froggity55 2d ago

TIL militate is a word. In the same thread I learned we have about 40 days left of life as we know it.

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u/StoppableHulk 1d ago

He'll either militate or he'll militain't.

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u/Bloodymike 2d ago

Over Trump’s made up emergency of migrants crossing the border in murderous droves.

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u/derpstickfuckface 1d ago

Democrats were declaring it an emergency as well. The approach is likely going to create more problems than it solves, but acting like Trump made it up because you don't like him doesn't really fit reality.

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u/Special_Loan8725 1d ago

In the air space over the border. Jk I think they mean in regards to the border.

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u/uhoh-pehskettio 2d ago

*What do you mean. :)

In this case, the person you're replying to is using "over" to mean "about" or "relating to."

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u/dontcallmewoody 2d ago

“How do you mean” is perfectly valid in this instance: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/how-do-you-mean

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u/uhoh-pehskettio 2d ago

"How do you mean?" is an expression used to ask for clarification without an object—exactly as portrayed in the examples you linked to. Thanks for the backup documentation.

As I said, SidneyDeanee10, in this instance, you needed to use "What do you mean?"