The claim: Donald Trump and the US military control the country
An Aug. 15 Facebook video (direct link, archive link) shows a man talking to viewers about who’s in power in the U.S.
“Trump and the military are in complete control of the country,” the man says. He later claims that former President Donald Trump is “allowing” the current administration to remain in power so U.S. citizens can see alleged corruption for themselves.
“This is Trump’s campaign,” he says. “This is his campaign to the American people. He did it out in the open without anyone realizing he is campaigning right now. … Every time they do something, every move they make, what happens? He gets more and more people on his side. This is his campaign for the presidential election of 2024.”
The video’s caption reads, “POTUS Trump got Military! Next Move Checkmate.”
The video was shared more than 400 times in two days.
Follow us on Facebook!Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks
Our rating: False
Trump is not in control of the military, much less the country. He is a private citizen running for reelection. President Joe Biden is the commander in chief of the U.S. military, as evidenced by the array of military and governing actions he has taken while in office.
Constitution gives the president authority over military
While this is hardly the first time Trump’s political power has been the subject of a conspiracy theory, the fact remains that on Jan. 20, 2021, Trump’s term as president came to an end when Biden was inaugurated.
The Constitution says the president is commander in chief “of the Army and Navy,” while the National Security Act of 1947 established that the president is commander in chief of the entire U.S. military, including the Air Force and Space Force.
Experts at the Harvard Law Review explained in an article, “The textual designation of the president as the commander in chief was intended to ensure that that officer, and no other, would be ultimately responsible for performing that role, whatever it was to entail.”
Fact check: Maui fires spark baseless conspiracy theories about directed energy weapons
Biden won the 2020 presidential election, and the result was confirmed by the electoral college results in Congress. Biden has used his powers as the commander in chief many times: In July 2023, he authorized the military to deploy 3,000 reserve troops to Europe amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – a move criticized by Trump, who said he would end the war within 24 hours “when I am reelected.”
Biden has used his authority as president to take a wide array of governing actions as well. As of Aug. 16, he had signed 121 executive orders, 150 presidential memoranda, 464 proclamations and 96 notices, according to tracking by Ballotpedia. He has also been regularly engaged in international diplomacy, such as negotiating Sweden’s joining of NATO – something he could not have done if he wasn’t president.
Former presidents like Trump get certain benefits, such as a pension and Secret Service protection. But power over the military isn’t on that list.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-check sources:
- U.S. Constitution Annotated, accessed Aug. 17, ArtII.S2.C1.1.11 Presidential Power and Commander in Chief Clause
- Harvard Law Review, January 2008, The Commander in Chief at the Lowest Ebb – Framing the Problem, Doctrine, and Original Understanding
- National Archives, accessed Aug. 17, 2020 Electoral College Results
- Politico, July 13, Biden orders 3,000 reservists to be ready for Europe deployments
- Donald J. Trump, July 14, Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States
- ABC News, July 28, Biden signs ‘historic’ executive order on how US military handles sexual assault cases
- Vox, Jan. 20, 2021, Here are the perks Trump will get as ex-president
- Ballotpedia, Aug. 16, Joe Biden’s executive orders and actions
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.
Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.
