Coronavirus Hoax: Americans Panicked After Getting Fake Martial Law Text Messages

Over the weekend, people from all walks of life, across the entire United States bought out grocery stores and wiped out toilet paper from every conceivable nook and cranny. A lot of this panic was fueled by a text message that people received telling them president Donald Trump was going to impose “medical martial law” in the form of a two-week lockdown of the entire nation.

The spread of coronavirus has already led the government to declare a national emergency over the deadly disease that has so far claimed 93 lives nationwide, and infected more than 4,700 people across the country (at the time of this writing), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Meters.

However, certain unsavory characters apparently decided to exploit the already tense situation to stoke more fear in the hearts of Americans and provoke real panic. People across the US received text messages claiming the president is about to impose martial law within the next 48 hours while urging people to stockpile supplies, according to a report by RT. This comes as many shops have already reportedly run out of toilet paper among other things.

Americans responded by panicking and wiping out grocery stores.

The message referred to the Stafford Act, which more attentive readers noticed. Because Trump already invoked the Stafford Act when he declared a national state of emergency. The government unlocked additional powers and funding for disaster response and involved the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the fight against coronavirus – but nothing close to martial law was imposed.

While it probably isn’t wise to assume the nation won’t on lockdown, it’s doubtful considering Trump needs a strong economy in order to get reelected.

I hope this isn’t one of those government things where you say there is no quarantine “as of now” and then end up announcing one next week

— Michael Coudrey (@MichaelCoudrey) March 16, 2020

Anything less than a quick end to this situation and turnaround in the economy will see him out the door as we usher in President Sanders or Biden.  If Trump locks down the country and medical martial law is enforced, the economy will be decimated even more so than it has been. Trump will likely do everything he can to stop the bleeding of the markets.

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Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE. There is no national lockdown. @CDCgov has and will continue to post the latest guidance on #COVID19. #coronavirus

— NSC (@WHNSC) March 16, 2020

It’s unlikely the federal government will impose a lockdown but expect more containment measures from cities and municipalities dealing with an outbreak locally. Also, make sure you’re ready just in case this happens because this is a rapidly changing crisis.

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This article has been contributed by SHTF Plan. Visit www.SHTFplan.com for alternative news, commentary and preparedness info.