False claim martial law declared in DC; video shows 2021 inauguration security | Fact check

Isabel C. Morales, USA TODAY
Updated ·3 min read
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The claim: Martial law was declared in Washington, DC

[En Español: Falsa afirmación: ley marcial en DC; video muestra medidas de seguridad en 2021 | Hechos]

A Jan. 28 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a video clip of armed soldiers, military equipment and barricades around the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

“BREAKING NEWS: MARTIAL LAW in the White House in Washington!!” the post reads in Spanish.

A similar claim on X, formerly Twitter, was shared more than 200 times.

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Our rating: False

There has been no marshal law declaration. The video is from January 2021 and shows security measures outside the U.S. Capitol for President Joe Biden's inauguration

No federal martial law in the US since 1941

The video clip in the post was taken more than three years ago, in January 2021, close to Biden’s inauguration ceremony, which traditionally takes place outside of the U.S. Capitol.

The same scene shown in the Facebook video can be seen in MSNBC footage posted to YouTube on Jan. 14, 2021, showing troops outside the Capitol. The arrangement of vehicles behind the soldiers matches in both videos.

The exact footage used in the Facebook post can be seen in a tweet from Jan. 19, 2021.

More than 20,000 National Guard troops were mobilized before the inauguration due to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which aimed to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. The attack led to deaths, injuries and hundreds of arrests.

The video clip also shows the U.S. Capitol, not the White House, contrary to the claim.

Fact check Video shows heightened security ahead of Biden inauguration ceremony

The claim referred to martial law, but the White House has not declared martial law, and no credible news reports suggest otherwise.

There is no official definition of martial law, but it generally refers to the practice of imposing military control over a civilian government during times of war, rebellion or natural disaster.

Federal and state officials have declared martial law 68 times in U.S. history, but it hasn't happened on the federal level since the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, according to the Brennan Center.

USA TODAY reached out to the users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

AFP and Univision also debunked the claim

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video shows 2021 inauguration security, not marshal law | Fact check