Right-wing media and Trump supporters encourage secession, martial law after Supreme Court defeat

Written by Zachary Pleat

Research contributions from Brendan Karet & Jane Lee

Published

After the Supreme Court on Friday declined to hear a lawsuit from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to overturn the election, many far-right pro-Trump media figures, social media personalities, Republican Party officials, and former congressional candidates expressed support for secession from the United States or the use of the military to overturn the election which President Donald Trump lost.

The lawsuit sought, in a “seditious abuse of judicial process,” to invalidate the election results from several swing states that contributed to President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. This extreme attempt to overthrow our democracy garnered mainstream Republican support, with 17 GOP state attorneys general and more than half of House Republicans signing on in support of it.

The Supreme Court’s rejection of the lawsuit did not end Trump supporters’ calls to overturn the election results. While treason talk -- fueled by Rush Limbaugh -- had already begun in the right-wing circles before the Supreme Court announced its decision, it really took off afterward.

Texas GOP Chairman Allen West, a former member of Congress and a former Fox News contributor, helped lead the way with a call for secession, writing in a press release: “Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution.” 

On Fox & Friends Weekend, host Pete Hegseth gave West a friendly platform to explain and justify his extreme statement.

From the December 13, 2020, edition of Fox & Friends Weekend

Other pro-Trump figures either endorsed this call, made their own comments in favor of secession, or called for military action to overturn the election.

  • Steve Bannon minion Raheem Kassam:
Raheem Kassam: "Secede."
Raheem Kassam: "SECEDE!!!"
  • Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward:
AZ GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward: "I love that #TXGOP Chairman Colonel @AllenWest loves America! #ImWithHim"
  • An NTD host floated that Trump could resources such as “the military, the police system, the special forces, and certain reliable facets of government” to overturn the election. The video was uploaded to YouTube late December 12 and already had 200,000 views after just 12 hours:

From a December 12, 2020, video uploaded to NTD's Wide Angle with Brendon Fallon's YouTube page

BRENDON FALLON (HOST): Previous presidents of the United States have exercised presidential prerogative power.

...

While the U.S. Constitution uses Congress and the courts to limit the power of the president, it also confers "presidential prerogative power" on the president.

...

President Trump has considerable resources at his disposal to preserve America's law and order such as the military, the police system, the special forces, and certain reliable facets of government. Judging from the actual voting results in this election, he has the support from the majority of Americans. In addition, the alt-left minority of the Democratic Party along with the fake news media outlets and online social media have not received the moral approval of the general public, so their authority is at the very least questionable.

...

The society expects the U.S. judiciary both local and federal to take immediate, comprehensive, and effective action to thoroughly investigate this massive attack on the very core of American democracy. President Trump is empowered by the U.S. Constitution to exercise his authority to take decisive and effective emergency measures to stop such a large scale attack. Regardless of whether the destructive attack comes from within or outside the country, it is the responsibility of the president of the United States, every government official, and every American citizen to protect the U.S. Constitution and founding principles of American democracy.

  • Conspiracy theorists Alex Jones, Tim Pool, and Michael Malice:
  • Family Research Council President Tony Perkins:
FRC President Tony Perkins: "Agreed; perhaps it is time to political recognize the ideological divide in our nation. We could have the Constitutional States of America and the Lawless States of America where cities are burned and looted and elections are stolen."
  • Conservative radio host Todd Starnes:
Todd Starnes: "The Republic of Texas"
  • BlazeTV host Elijah Schaffer:
Blaze TV host Elijah Schaffer: "SCOTUS is compromised Facts don’t matter anymore Our republic has no accountability We cannot live in a union like this Only 1/2 of us play by the rules now I’m done playing a game I can’t win Secession may be our only option Weighing others. RT if you agree"
Blaze TV host Elijah Schaffer: "Law abiding states should form a more perfect union"
Blaze TV host Elijah Schaffer: "War is brewing"
Blaze TV host Elijah Schaffer: "He’ll yeah."
Blaze TV host Elijah Schaffer: "We never lose Revolution Civil war 2020 It’s all the same We will succeed If not, secede"
  • Oath Keepers founder Stuart Rhodes:
  • Right-wing troll Kaitlin Bennett:
Kaitlin Bennett: "Rush Limbaugh is right. The only way out of this mess is secession. If not even a conservative Supreme Court will defend our country, then it's time to start a new one! Take note @RonDeSantisFL"
  • Newsmax TV hosts Diamond & Silk:
Diamond & Silk: "If the Supreme Court can't save our Republic, then where is the Military?"
  • Graham Ledger:
OANN host Graham Ledger: "Like!"
  • “Stop the Steal” organizer Ali Alexander:
Ali Alexander: "Based."
  • The Daily Wire's Candace Owens:
Candace Owens: "You actually don’t need a bloody war to secede— just an agreement. If you Democrats are so convinced that 75 million people in this country are racist, sexist, xenophobic, fascist red necks, explain to me why the concept of their secession so infuriates you? I’m interested."
  • NationalFile's Patrick Howley:
Patrick Howley: "TEXIT?"
  • Former Republican Senate candidate Lauren Witzke:
Lauren Witzke: "TEXIT!"
  • Former Republican congressional candidate Duane Hennen:
Duane Hennen: "With 60% of Americans getting slighted by a RIGGED ELECTION it's time for @realDonaldTrump to declare Martial Law and have a fair election!"
  • Former Republican congressional candidate Omar Navarro:
Omar Navarro: "Insurrection Act and Martial Law! This is a coup, treason! Pass it on"
  • Former Republican congressional candidate Nicholas Gladden:
Nichola Gladden: "We will not let this go lightly we will keep fighting! #HoldTheLinePatriots #HoldTheLine #Cyberpunk #InsurrectionAct #WeThePeople"
  • QAnon accounts with major followings:
  • Pro-Trump pundit Bill Mitchell on Parler:
  • Far-right figure Milo Yiannopoulos declared on Parler that “secession or war” are the “only two options now” and that “secession is preferable.”