A veteran Democratic strategist, James Carville, has warned Americans that president Donald Trump might try to declare martial law, after a viral rumour began trending that Trump was intending to do so on April 20.
The Daily Beast reports that during a Q&A segment on his Politics War Room podcast, Carville – a lead strategist in Bill Clinton’s winning 1992 presidential campaign – was asked “Is Trump looking to spark enough protest to justify declaring martial law in 2026 thus suspending the election?”
He responded: “You’re so correct to be concerned about this,” adding: “It’s getting worse by the day. It is not going to stop getting worse. And I would be, we ought to be, on high, high alert.”
Canville’s comments follow the ripple of alarm that spread after Trump’s 30 March comments to NBC News that he might attempt to seek an unconstitutional third term as president, despite being constitutionally unable to. “There are methods [by] which you could do it,” he told the outlet. “I’m not joking.”
Due to the rules of the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment, it is prohibited for anyone to be elected as president more than twice.
Trump added that his allies are rallying for him to have a third term. “A lot of people want me to do it. But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.”
Partly due to this, and the fact that an executive order signed by Trump on Inauguration Day directs the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security to submit a report by April 20 assessing the situation at the southern border and recommending whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 for purposes of border enforcement, rumours that Trump is intending to declare martial law in the US on April 20 began to circulate on TikTok and other social media channels, possibly prompting the question to Canville.
In a follow up comment on his Q&A segment, Canville said: “I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Trump does not like the United States. He doesn’t like our laws, he does not like our Constitution.”
Carville added that if Trump is “going down,” he’ll take the country with him.
What is martial law and can Trump declare it in the US?
Generally speaking, martial law is a temporary rule that gives the military authority over a civilian population, for example during major civil unrest that overwhelms existing law enforcement.
During a period of martial law, civil rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of assembly could be restricted – curfews are also often imposed meaning that people aren’t allowed outside after a certain time.
In the past, martial law has been used as a tool by some authoritarian governments to extend their control and suppress dissent.
However, martial law is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, and there are no clear federal laws that fully define how or when it can be declared, which would make it harder for the Trump administration to enact it.
Very broadly speaking, the president (as Commander-in-Chief) or congress can declare martial law for the entire country in cases of rebellion or invasion, under very limited and extreme circumstances.
The Constitution protects civil liberties, so martial law is meant to be a last resort. The Suspension Clause (Article I, Section 9) says habeas corpus – the right to a hearing and trial on lawful imprisonment – can only be suspended “when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.”
Martial law has been declared in the US in the past but mainly at state level, as state governors have that power. For example, Hawaii was placed under full martial law after the World War II attack on Pearl Harbor, which led to the military controlling courts, schools, businesses, and civilian life for nearly three years.
However, Newsweek have debunked the viral rumour that Trump will declare martial law on April 20, writing: “there is no credible evidence or reporting that martial law is being considered anywhere in the US.”
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