# How Likely is It that Trump will Try to Proclaim Martial Law? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 17, 2020, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294 "2020-12-17T22:09:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/121 "2020-12-22T21:08:35Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > You’re quite right, and in some regards, a law enforcement chief is more likely to be the kind of individual who is capable of marrying the administrative and political strands of the job together. Grrr, so this guy. > **[Butler County Sheriff: ‘I’m the new Sheriff Clarke'](https://www.fox19.com/2020/11/12/butler-county-sheriff-im-new-sheriff-clarke/)** > > 'I appear to be the new go-to-guy for things that go on all around the country because I am brave enough to speak for most law enforcement officials' ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/122 "2020-12-22T21:13:00Z")
Yeah, someone like a Sheriff Clarke, or Sheriff Joe, but with national ambitions. When I lived in South Louisiana and worked in and around New Orleans, there was a guy named Harry Lee (I think he was the son of Koreans) who was Jefferson Parish Sheriff. I always thought that guy was unbelievable: a clearly ‘no way to hide it’ visible minority in a pretty race-conscious jurisdiction who became Sheriff Joe before Sheriff Joe was famous. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/123 "2020-12-22T21:17:00Z")
It wouldn’t hurt for the person to have a Christian fundamentalist background, who can quote chapter and verse about the End Times and Revelations. That would go over big, and people would be willing to die, or put up with no end of sacrifices in that next dictator’s service. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/124 "2020-12-22T21:25:02Z")
Nah, I’m thinking this specific person. Now that you have mentioned it, I think that he would be the perfect vessel for the Republican authoritarian takeover. I will be surprised but relieved if he is not a candidate in 2024. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/125 "2020-12-22T21:28:54Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > What would “someone more skilled” look like? This and the subsequent discussion with @LSLGuy and @Alessan could be well worth expanding into its own thread. Probably a lot more important than getting too stressed worrying about the immediate threat from Trump’s ineffectual flailing. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/126 "2020-12-22T21:49:27Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Maybe not after Trump gets done with it. Or as the more RW Texans might say: **Liebensraum** , Y’All! 😉 My bold Stepping away from the thread for a moment, I gotta ask - is that deliberate? It makes for a different punchline. According to google translate, Liebensraum = “Love Room” 😉 Enough. Back to the thread. j ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/127 "2020-12-22T23:59:05Z")
Yeah, funny. How about _lebensraum_, then? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/128 "2020-12-22T23:59:45Z")
“defund the police”. “abolish the police”. “All cops are racist nazis”. Lumping all police in together, even tho only a few are bad apples. And see you even did that. Out of the 800000 police in the USA, how many have killed a unarmed black man? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/129 "2020-12-23T00:35:51Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > “defund the police”. “abolish the police”. “All cops are racist nazis”. And according to you, these attacks are “constant” by those on the left. No. You are incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/130 "2020-12-23T00:48:12Z")
_ **Moderating** _ Let’s drop the side discussion about attacking the police. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/131 "2020-12-23T02:27:18Z")
We’ve discussed (well I believe) that declaring martial law would probably not work, but one thing we haven’t is what _Trump_ thinks declaring martial law would accomplish. He is rather notorious for believing what he wants to believe regardless of the factual information. Trump tends to believe his own propaganda, and that the people he puts in positions have the obligation to perform to his expectations. He did not succeed with the Supreme court, but sure seemed to think that they would come through for him. He has gone out of his way to gut and replace the civilian leaders of the DoD, and may well believe that if he invokes martial law they will ‘come through for him.’ He is entirely transactional after all. I do agree that he doesn’t have a plan, unless it’s for the unrealistic (but flattering to the engorged ego that is Trump) assumption that with martial law, the military and his adoring base will declare him Dictator as the Roman emperors of old. I suspect Flynn’s statement that martial law would be a way to have a “do over” on the election is more central: after all, Trump believes he won, and if he got a retry with the military to make sure no one cheats him, well, that’s only fair from his POV. So again, the OP’s question is about “how likely is it that Trump will Try to Proclaim Martial law.” Not if it will be successful, not will it be legal, but if he is likely. Based on his _personality_ I bet it _was_ very likely, and that the reported discussions happened, but the few remaining adults in the Oval Office squashed it. Since he has since gone to twitter to declare it all to be fake news again, I suspect he’s taken it off the table - but a man with his ego and few people speaking to power may revisit it, however unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/132 "2020-12-23T03:06:18Z")
Trump speaks.He still claims the election was a fraud, and vows to fight. What option does he have to fight at this stage except martial law? [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psoj53kcnZU) ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/133 "2020-12-23T03:33:03Z")
> At this stage, he has only four options. 1) concede 2) stage a coup 3) suicide 4) go postal I don’t think those are the only four. Another is 5) back quietly out the door of the White House, while proudly and confidently announcing that he won and the election was stolen, and keep that up for the rest of his life. I think this is the most likely option. . ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/134 "2020-12-23T05:07:16Z")
Why does that video have tomorrow’s date on it? (I first saw it here at about 7:00 pm PDT, which was not tomorrow on any US soil that I’m aware of). Just curious, not curious enough to waste time on watching the video. > [@Princhester](#): > > 1. back quietly out the door of the White House, while proudly and confidently announcing that he won and the election was stolen, and keep that up for the rest of his life. Absolutely. Maybe he’ll thrill us by using that as his legal defense after he’s out of office (“You can’t charge me, I’m the President!”) when he’s on trial for his many and varied crimes (I can dream, can’t I?) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/135 "2020-12-23T06:01:20Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Trump speaks.He still claims the election was a fraud, and vows to fight. What option does he have to fight at this stage except martial law? He can continue to claim the election was a fraud and vow to fight. This is a strategy built on Trump’s strengths: 1. Talking about himself 2. Lying 3. Ignoring reality 4. Doing nothing ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/136 "2020-12-23T06:05:27Z")
There have been meetings at the WH involving some of his more ~~ardent~~ deranged supporters about trying to sabotage the 6 January joint session. Senator Tommy Tubberville (R-Wingnut) has indicated that he might join with whichever Congresscritter files an objection to the swing state electors. In a normal world this tactic would, in the immortal words of John Thune, “go down like a dog” since there’s no way the House would uphold the objection (and it’s unlikely the Senate would, either). What I find somewhat disturbing is that Mike Pence was at one or more of the meetings. While I’m not a Constitutional lawyer (or any other kind — my brain curls up and start to whimper at about the third sentence of legalese), my understanding is that his role is tightly constrained: he can’t, for example, simply rule that one set of electors should replace another. But perhaps the Keystone Kounsellors think they have found a loophole. Or perhaps the object of the exercise is to tie up the proceedings to the point where Pence could declare an impasse and throw the selection to the House, where Trump would win since each state has one vote. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/137 "2020-12-23T06:06:50Z")
Yep, that is what he will do, but you forgot- raising as much money as he can and milking this for all it’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/138 "2020-12-23T12:32:16Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > > [@LSLGuy](#): > > > > Maybe not after Trump gets done with it. Or as the more RW Texans might say: **Liebensraum** , Y’All! 😉 > > My bold > > Stepping away from the thread for a moment, I gotta ask - is that deliberate? It makes for a different punchline. > > According to google translate, Liebensraum = “Love Room” 😉 > > Enough. Back to the thread. > > j Oops. Not deliberate; just a faulty memory. My last day in German class was 42 years ago. Shoulda looked it up; it’s not hard. But I do know that some of the evangelicals and all of the white supremacists are big on the idea of “Make more **purebred white** babies.” Which might need more room. So there _is_ a tie-in. > [@ParallelLines](#): > > We’ve discussed (well I believe) that declaring martial law would probably not work, but one thing we haven’t is what _Trump_ thinks declaring martial law would accomplish. He is rather notorious for believing what he wants to believe regardless of the factual information Very well said throughout. In yesterday’s news Pat Robertson came out saying Trump actually believes he won; it’s not just a ploy. Meanwhile Robertson has changed sides from a week ago when he thought God should and would intervene to save Trump. Because gays. I don’t usually quote Robertson as a fount of accurate knowledge and sound reasoning. But in this case I suspect he’s on to something. There’s a saying in politics and business: “Perception is reality.” Meaning people will act in accordance with their perceptions about reality, not reality as it is. So to influence their behavior, whether to vote for you or buy your widget, you need to work from what they perceive, right or wrong, not what _is_. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/139 "2020-12-23T14:18:37Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Or as the more RW Texans might say: Liebensraum, Y’All! 😉 _Love Shack! Baby, Love Shack!_ ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294/140 "2020-12-23T14:25:43Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > So: a member of a highly-respected political family, brother a dead national hero, military service as a elite special forces officer, Harvard, career diplomat, Ambassador to the UN, and from there vaulting right to the highest level of conservative politics. _That’s_ the kind of guy you should look out for. But while Trumpists may love the dead hero and military service parts, the political family, Harvard\*, career diplomat, and UN\* parts would be absolute poison to them. They’d be like one of those intentionally confused computers or androids on the old _Star Trek_. “He’s a soldier, but he’s a diplomat! He was in the military, but went to Harvard! Does not compute! Does not compute! Bzzzzzzz!” \*I picture a Trumpist spitting upon mentioning the hated Harvard and again on mentioning the hated UN. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-that-trump-will-try-to-proclaim-martial-law/928294.md?page=8)