Social media customers have been sharing posts that make varied claims associated to the QAnon conspiracy idea, together with that Martial Regulation and the Rebel Act have been invoked; energy has been transferred from outgoing President Trump to the navy, not President Joe Biden; there have been mass arrests; Biden just isn’t President; and Trump will come again to energy on March 4th. There isn’t a proof to assist any of those claims, linked to the broadly debunked QAnon conspiracy idea.
Examples of the posts may be seen here , here , here , here and here .
For 3 years, adherents of the sprawling QAnon conspiracy have been scouring nameless net postings from a determine named “Q” (claiming to be a authorities insider with high secret safety clearance) and parsing statements by former U.S. President Donald Trump whom they believed to be their champion secretly combating a cabal of child-sex predators that features outstanding Democrats, Hollywood elites and “deep state” allies (here).
QAnon supporters anticipated that Jan. 20 could be the day of “Nice Awakening” or “The Storm” when Trump would expose the supposed cabal of Devil-worshipping pedophile cannibal elites and declare martial legislation, which means he would stay in energy, and resulting in mass arrests and executions of high Democrats or different supposed members of the cabal ( here , here , here ).
None of this stuff occurred on Jan. 20, 2021 when the world watched as Joe Biden took the oath and was sworn in because the forty sixth president of the US ( here , here , here ).
INSURRECTION ACT
The posts declare, “Trump signed the revolt act on 11 Jan …. That suspended the three branches of presidency and gave the navy full management” (here) and “Rebel Act was signed.” (here)
The Rebel Act of 1807 permits the U.S. president to deploy the navy to suppress home revolt ( here , here ). As an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act 1878, which prohibits navy forces getting used for home legislation enforcement, the 1807 act has been used prior to now to quell civil unrest. The final time was in 1992 when lethal riots broke out after Los Angeles cops have been acquitted of accusations over their alleged beating of Black motorist Rodney King.
Reuters has already debunked false claims that Trump invoked the Rebel Act here . After the president’s former safety adviser Michael Flynn advised the act may be employed to assist overturn the election (here), Military Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Chief of Workers Gen. James McConville stated in a joint assertion: “There isn’t a position for the U.S. navy in figuring out the end result of an American election.” Trump and his senior authorized adviser Jenna Ellis additionally rejected the proposal (here).
On the time of publication, there was no credible affirmation of the act being invoked from any official sources, together with the related state departments, lawmakers, the navy or the White Home itself.
A U.S. authorities protection official advised Reuters by way of e mail that neither martial legislation nor the Rebel Act have been declared.
FLAGS AS EVIDENCE
As “proof” a few of the claims say that flags are proof that energy has been turned over to the navy and the Rebel Act or martial legislation has been invoked, which means the Biden inauguration was not legitimate and Biden might be arrested for treason. For instance, the posts say, “when there isn’t a flag flying over the White Home it signifies that the ability has been turned over to the navy. This implies selective martial legislation or that the president has signed the Rebel Act” ( here , here ) and “Trump both signed the revolt act or we’re in martial legislation. The flag behind Trump this morning had a gold fringe and that signifies martial legislation. You possibly can look it up. The entire Biden inauguration was not legitimate and he might be arrested for treason later.” (here)
The American Legion (which describes itself as the US’ largest wartime veterans service group, chartered and integrated by Congress in 1919) explains on its web site the importance of the gold fringe on the U.S. flag, explaining that in 1895 the gold fringe was formally added to the nationwide flag for all regiments of the Military as an “honorable enrichment”. They add, “the courts have deemed with out benefit and frivolous, lawsuits that contend that the gold fringe adorning the flag conferred Admiralty/Maritime jurisdiction.” (here). The gold fringe just isn’t talked about within the U.S. flag code ( here , www.legion.org/flag/flagmyths ), neither as prohibited nor accredited.
Relating to claims concerning the flag not flying over the White Home, the flag was flying all through the day on Jan. 20 and the flag pole is seen here , here , here , here .
A Presidential proclamation by former President Richard Nixon in 1970 says that the American flag ought to fly over the White Home 24 hours a day, seven days every week, no matter whether or not the President is house (here).
Factcheck.org traced the picture utilized in a few of the posts to Fox Information at 3:51pm on Jan. 19 (as seen here ), the place workers members might be seen on the roof engaged on the flag pole, which has not been eliminated. They stated that within the following phase, the flag might be seen flying once more over the White Home ( here , here ). Reuters images additionally present the flag was flying on Jan. 19 ( here , here ).
MARTIAL LAW
The posts declare that the U.S. is underneath martial legislation.
Late final 12 months, Reuters debunked false claims that Trump had invoked Martial Regulation (here). Trump tweeted on Dec. 20 saying “Martial legislation = Faux Information.” (here).
Though Martial legislation has no established definition, it usually refers back to the “displacement of civilian authorities by the navy”, because the Brennan Heart For Justice explains in additional element here . They are saying that even when he was President, Trump lacked the authority to declare martial legislation.
On the time of publication there was no signal or credible proof that any sort of martial legislation has been invoked from any official sources, together with the related state departments, lawmakers, the navy or the White Home itself. A protection official confirmed martial legislation had not been declared.
MILITARY CONTROL
The posts declare that the navy has “full management” or “energy has been turned over to the navy”. Lots of the posts say that the transition to navy energy was facilitated by the Rebel Act or Martial Regulation neither of which have been invoked, as defined above.
On the time of publication there was no affirmation that the navy has taken energy from any official sources, together with the related state departments, lawmakers, the navy or the White Home itself.
The Pentagon didn’t instantly reply to Reuters’ request for remark. The Division of Defence printed information of Biden’s swearing in as U.S. president on Jan 20, here .
ARRESTS
Reuters discovered no proof to assist claims of mass arrests in current media reviews or official sources, together with police drive web sites and the White Home web site. This can be a tenet of the QAnon conspiracy, which is baseless and unfounded.
The posts additionally claimed that President Biden could be arrested on Jan. 20. Pictures, movies, articles and White Home releases present that Biden has been finishing up his presidential duties as anticipated on Jan. 21, the day after his alleged arrest, as seen here , here , here , here .
Reuters has debunked different false claims that Obama (here), Nancy Pelosi (here) and the Pope (here) have been arrested.
BIDEN NOT PRESIDENT
Some posts allege that “Biden is President of nothing” and “the entire Biden inauguration was not legitimate”.
Article 2, part 1 of the US structure the particular person with the best variety of votes from the Electoral Faculty shall be the president (here) and earlier than he enters “on the Execution of his Workplace” he shall take the Oath of Workplace. The Nationwide Archives Electoral Faculty Timeline of Occasions information the President-elect turns into the President of the US at midday on Jan. 20, 2021 after taking the Oath of Workplace (here).
Biden obtained essentially the most Electoral Faculty votes, with 306 to Trump’s 232, a consequence that was later licensed by the U.S. congress. A video of Biden taking the Oath of Workplace at his inauguration on Jan. 20, may be seen here and here .
The official Library of Congress listing of previous and present presidents (here) and the White Home web site (here), each present that Biden is the present president.
TRUMP BACK IN POWER MARCH 4
Some posts say that Trump will come again into energy, sworn into workplace on March 4th.
QAnon consultants have reported on how, in line with its adherents, March 4 constitutes a brand new deadline for the group (here) that watched inauguration come and go with out the occasions they anticipated (here). Extra on the importance of March 4 for QAnon believers may be seen here .
Trump repeatedly made false claims that he had gained the election, alongside unfounded allegations of voter fraud. Regardless of many authorized challenges, he was unable to overturn the results of the election ( here , here ).
In his farewell tackle, Trump wished the brand new administration luck and prayed for its success www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-farewell-idUSKBN29O2I8 . After his supporters stormed the Capitol, Trump stated in an announcement posted to Twitter: “Now, Congress has licensed the outcomes. A brand new administration might be inaugurated on January 20. My focus now turns to making sure a easy, orderly and seamless transition of energy. This second requires therapeutic and reconciliation” ( here , archive.vn/U36Z5 ).
VERDICT
False. There isn’t a proof to assist these claims stemming from the QAnon conspiracy idea.
This text was produced by the Reuters Reality Examine workforce. Learn extra about our fact-checking work here .