Martial Law

Are viral posts claiming your favorite celebrity family adopted or had twin babies and giving them names that "are taking the internet by storm" real? No, that's not true: Nearly identical posts naming at least 49 celebrity families were distributed on Facebook in mid-April 2026 by a spam network managed from Vietnam. The posts appear to be AI-generated and have…

Are U.S. soldiers "openly refusing orders" to deploy "en masse" to Iran as a viral Facebook post claimed? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that large numbers of American service members are refusing deployment orders. Claims circulating on social media misrepresent online activity, and the hashtags #SoldiersRefuse and #NoWarWithIran are not trending No. 1 worldwide with 18 million…

Did ABC News anchor David Muir "snap" in an on-air tirade against President Donald Trump, predicting martial law and no midterm elections? No, that's not true: This story is clickbait; Muir never said this on-air. The story originated on a clickbait website linked to a Facebook page styled to attract Muir's fans but with no affiliation to the news anchor…

Did two U.S. senators and four representatives urge American soldiers and intelligence officers to disobey legal orders from their commanders and is their advice seditious and traitorous behavior? No, that's not true: Democratic Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin, and Representatives Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, Jason Crow, Chrissy Houlahan recorded a video with the message that American military members "must…

Did U.S. President Donald Trump publicly declare that he would implement martial law in the United States on April 20, 2025? No, that's not true: As of April 9, Trump had not publicly given any such order, or made any such declaration. Rumors that Trump would announce or implement martial law on April 20 stemmed from an executive order relating…

Did President Joe Biden unilaterally release a Chinese spy convicted of possessing child pornography? No, that's not true: A White House spokesperson told Lead Stories a Chinese doctoral student sentenced to 8 years in federal prison in 2022 was granted clemency and deported on November 22, 2024, as part of a prisoner swap between the United States and China. Three…

Does an image showing a convoy of military vehicles driving through a city at night depict the situation in South Korea when martial law was declared on December 3, 2024? No, that's not true: The photo is from January 25, 2024, and it shows a nighttime South Korean army mobile training exercise. There is also a YouTube video from January…

Was mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor sued for sexual assault in a personal injury civil case after declaring his interest in running for president of Ireland? No, that's not true: A post alleging a connection between the civil lawsuit and McGregor's political ambitions misled readers about the timeline of the events. The civil lawsuit was filed in 2021, years…

If elected to serve as Ireland's president, can MMA fighter Conor McGregor force legislators to convene and face questioning about their policies? No, that's not true: Ireland's Constitution does not grant such powers to any president. A professor of Ireland's constitutional law told Lead Stories McGregor's tweet claiming these powers was "constitutionally illiterate." The incorrect assertion about presidential powers in…

Does a viral video of "National Guard troops" prove that New York is about to declare martial law? No, that's not true: The particular unit captured on camera has been patrolling transportation hubs in New York City since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. According to the spokesperson for the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs,…