A Government Quietly Prepares for Military Power

There is no national broadcast. No dramatic military parades. No headlines screaming MARTIAL LAW DECLARED. Yet across official documents, personnel decisions, and legal mandates, the machinery of domestic military power is quietly assembling.

On January 20, 2025 ,  the day of President Trump’s second inauguration ,  a national emergency was declared at the southern border. By itself, such a proclamation may have seemed familiar. But embedded within it was something extraordinary: a directive ordering the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to prepare a report, due in 90 days, recommending whether the Insurrection Act of 1807 ,  the law that permits military force on U.S. soil ,  should be invoked.

That deadline is April 20.

This isn’t a conspiracy theory. It’s a bureaucratic timeline set by the executive branch itself, embedded in an official proclamation. No secret memo. No anonymous leaks. Just federal law, now being weaponized.

And it’s not the only breadcrumb.

Since January, the Trump administration has:

• Removed the top military official in the country and replaced him with a politically aligned subordinate.

• Activated Title 10 military powers to authorize reserve force deployment and construction at the border.

• Signed executive orders purging civil rights, diversity protections, and regulatory safeguards.

• Installed loyalists in the Department of Defense who explicitly endorse Project 2025’s vision of a “unitary executive” unconstrained by checks and balances.

There is no singular declaration of martial law ,  but there doesn’t need to be. This moment is more insidious. It is a constitutional sleight-of-hand, carried out legally, by people who have publicly stated their intention to expand presidential power through emergency and security doctrine.

As we approach the April 20 deadline, the central question is no longer if the Insurrection Act is on the table.

The question is whether the American public will recognize what’s happening before it’s invoked.

2. What Is the Insurrection Act ,  and Why Does It Matter Now?

The Insurrection Act is one of the most extraordinary powers available to a U.S. president ,  because it allows the direct use of military force against people on U.S. soil, including American citizens. First passed in 1807, the Act was originally intended to allow the federal government to suppress rebellions, slave revolts, or foreign infiltration in frontier regions where the fledgling United States had no standing military presence.

But over two centuries, its purpose has evolved ,  and its invocation has become rarer and more controversial.

10 U.S. Code §§ 251–255, the current statutory structure of the Insurrection Act, provides three major pathways for military deployment:

• When a state governor requests federal troops to control an insurrection (§251).

• When a state is unwilling or unable to enforce federal law (§252).

• To enforce civil rights or protect constitutional order when domestic unrest threatens it (§253).

What makes this law dangerous in 2025 isn’t just its existence ,  it’s its ambiguity. The Act gives the President unilateral discretion to determine when “unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages” prevent law enforcement from functioning. It also overrides the Posse Comitatus Act, which otherwise prohibits the use of the U.S. military for domestic policing.

In practical terms, invoking the Insurrection Act would allow the Trump administration to:

• Deploy active-duty troops or federalized National Guard inside sanctuary cities.

• Arrest and detain civilians without relying on local law enforcement.

• Use military resources (vehicles, drones, tactical equipment) in civil operations.

• Override governors who refuse cooperation.

It has been used close to 30 times in American history ,  always in the most extreme circumstances:

Historical Invocations of the Insurrection Act

Date invoked	Invoker	Cause	Results
April 19, 1808	Thomas Jefferson	Violations of the Embargo Act of 1807 around Lake Champlain.[2]	Violations continue, act repealed in 1809.[3]
February 10, 1831	Andrew Jackson	Dispute around Arkansas–Mexico border.[4]	Resolved before troops sent.[1]
August 24, 1831		Slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia.[5]	Rebellion suppressed.[6]
January 28, 1834		Riot over labor dispute in Maryland.[7]	Resolved before troops sent.[7]
April 15, 1861	Abraham Lincoln	Secession of southern states, American Civil War.[8]	Civil war ends after four years. Beginning of Reconstruction era.[9]
October 17, 1871	Ulysses S. Grant	White supremacist insurgency across former Confederacy.[11]	Insurgency suppressed.[1]
May 22, 1873		Violence in Louisiana after contested election.[12]	Resolved before troops sent.[1]
December 21, 1874		White supremacist insurrection and massacre in Vicksburg.[13]	Insurrection suppressed.[14]
May 15, 1874		White supremacist attempted coup in Arkansas.[15]	Resolved before troops sent.[1]
September 15, 1874		White supremacist insurgency and coup in Louisiana.[16]	New Orleans and state government liberated, insurgency continues in other areas until 1877.[1]
October 17, 1876		White supremacist paramilitaries in South Carolina.[17]	Paramilitaries dispersed, troops stay until 1877.[1]
July 18, 1877	Rutherford B. Hayes	Railroad strike in multiple states.[18]	Strike suppressed. Eventual reform.[19]
October 7, 1878		War between rival business/gang factions in Lincoln County, New Mexico.[20]	Most fighting stops.[21]
May 3, 1882	Chester A. Arthur	Gang violence in the Arizona Territory.[22]	Gangs suppressed.[1]
November 7, 1885; February 9, 1886	Grover Cleveland	Riots against Chinese citizens in the Washington Territory. Occurred in 1885 and 1886.[23]	Riots suppressed.[23]
July 8, 1894		Strike in multiple states.[24]	Strike suppressed. Eventual reform.[25]
April 28, 1914	Woodrow Wilson	Strike and uprising in Colorado.[26]	Strike and uprising suppressed. Eventual reform.[27]
August 30, 1921	Warren G. Harding	Strike and uprising in West Virginia.[28]	Strike and uprising suppressed. Eventual reform.[29]
July 28, 1932	Douglas MacArthur	Army general illegally invokes act against WWI veterans marching for military bonuses in Washington, D.C.[30]	Protest suppressed.[31]
June 21, 1943	Franklin D. Roosevelt	Race riot in Detroit.[32]	Riot suppressed.[33]
September 23, 1957	Dwight D. Eisenhower	Arkansas National Guard forbids black students from a school in Little Rock.[34]	Arkansas National Guard federalized and ordered to stand down. Federal troops escort black students to school.[35]
September 30, 1962	John F. Kennedy	Siege and riot of University of Mississippi due to racial integration.[36]	Riot suppressed.[37]
June 11, 1963		Governor of Alabama forbids black students from a school in Tuscaloosa.[38]	Alabama National Guard federalized and ordered to stand down. Federal troops escort black students to school.[39]
September 10, 1963		Alabama National Guard forbids black students from all-white schools.[1]	Alabama National Guard federalized and ordered to stand down.
March 20, 1965	Lyndon B. Johnson	Alabaman policemen suppress first Selma to Montgomery marches.[41]	Federalization of Alabama National Guard before the third march.
July 24, 1967		Protests and riots in Detroit.[42]	Riots suppressed.[43]
April 5, 1968		Riots and civil unrest in multiple states after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr..[44]	Riots suppressed.[45]
November 24, 1987	Ronald Reagan	Prison riot in Atlanta over announced deportations of Cuban detainees.[46]	Riot suppressed.[47]
September 20, 1989	George H. W. Bush	Looting in the United States Virgin Islands after Hurricane Hugo.[48]	Order restored.[49]
May 1, 1992		Riots in Los Angeles after the acquittal of policemen who beat Rodney King.[51]	Riot suppressed.[52]

Notably, the Act was not invoked during:

• The September 11 attacks

• The January 6 Capitol insurrection

• The George Floyd protests ,  despite President Trump urging it publicly.

That makes what is unfolding today all the more significant: No modern president has gone further than Donald Trump in constructing the pretext for its use.

It’s also important to understand that once the Act is invoked, there is no mandated time limit. Congress has no approval role. Federal courts rarely interfere, because the military action is shielded under executive war powers and doctrines of necessity.

In short: The Insurrection Act is a legal door that, once opened, cannot easily be closed.

And in 2025, that door is no longer theoretical. It’s propped open by emergency declarations, military authorities, and a 90-day countdown embedded in law.

3. The Paper Trail: What the Trump Administration Has Already Done

If a government were preparing to invoke domestic martial powers under the Insurrection Act, what would we expect to see?

• A national emergency declaration under constitutional authority.

• Legal activation of troop deployment statutes.

• Elimination of policy, legal, or bureaucratic obstacles.

• A formal recommendation pipeline from security agencies.

• And most critically ,  people in power willing to carry it out.

As of April 2025, all five conditions are actively being met.

Let’s walk through the official actions that set this in motion.

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3.1 – Proclamation 10886: National Emergency and Border Militarization

Issued on January 20, 2025, Proclamation 10886 declares a national emergency at the southern border. This was one of the first acts of President Trump’s second term, and it sets the tone for everything that followed.

Key excerpts:

“The United States is being invaded at our southern border. Cartels, traffickers, and criminal networks are exploiting the vacuum left by Biden’s failure to maintain operational control.”

“Pursuant to my authority under Article II of the Constitution, and Section 2808 of Title 10, I hereby declare that a national emergency exists at the border…”

This language is more than rhetorical. It lays the legal foundation for using military forces domestically. Specifically, the proclamation:

• Activates 10 U.S.C. §12302 ,  allowing call-up of Reserve and National Guard troops.

• Activates 10 U.S.C. §2808 ,  permitting the military to build infrastructure (such as detention camps or border facilities) using emergency funding.

• Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to “provide support” to Homeland Security ,  a phrase that encompasses transport, surveillance, logistics, and personnel.

And most significantly, the proclamation includes this clause:

“Within 90 days of the date of this proclamation, the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security shall submit to me a joint report recommending whether the Insurrection Act of 1807 should be invoked in full or in part.” (Proclamation 10886, Sec. 8)

That deadline is April 20, 2025.

This is not speculation ,  it’s federal policy. The administration has created a legal pipeline that will deliver a recommendation on martial law, at the President’s request, within a specified time frame.

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3.2 – Executive Order 14148: The Ideological Purge of Civil Protections

Also signed on January 20, EO 14148 is a mass revocation of nearly every progressive executive order issued between 2021–2024.

Here’s what was rescinded:

• EO 13988: Protection against gender identity discrimination

• EO 14013: Strengthened refugee resettlement

• EO 14035: DEI in the federal workforce

• EO 14019: Voting access and outreach

• EO 14008: Climate justice and environmental action

In place of these orders, EO 14148 declares that:

“The federal bureaucracy has been corrupted by radical ideology masquerading as equity. The restoration of liberty and order requires a re-centering of constitutional values.”

While this may read like ideological framing, the legal impact is stark: it strips protections from federal employees, immigrants, voters, and environmental communities. It also eliminates the administrative guardrails that would normally object to or slow down military or emergency action.

This EO aligns directly with:

• Project 2025’s “Mandate for Leadership” chapters on dismantling the administrative state.

• Section III of Heritage’s Strategic Priorities 2025–2026, which calls for “immediate cessation of DEI in government.”

In other words: this is not just a power move ,  it’s ideological infrastructure for authoritarian governance.

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3.3 – Expanded Use of Title 10 Powers

Following Proclamation 10886, additional actions were taken to operationalize Title 10 of the U.S. Code ,  which governs the Armed Forces.

These include:

• §12302 (Reserve Components): Up to 1 million reservists can be called up to serve domestically for national emergencies.

• §2808 (Construction Authority): DoD can build “military facilities necessary to support use of the armed forces” ,  which can include detention centers, logistical hubs, surveillance towers, and forward operating bases.

• §284 (Support to Law Enforcement): DoD may provide training, equipment, and intelligence to civilian agencies ,  which, under a reinterpreted framework, now includes immigration enforcement.

Historically, these powers were used during wartime or natural disasters. In this case, they are being used preemptively for domestic enforcement against migrants and potentially sanctuary jurisdictions.

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3.4 – EO on the Second Amendment and White House Faith Office

Two other executive orders signal broader ideological reorientation:

• Second Amendment Order (Feb 2025): Directs DOJ to roll back all ATF rulemaking since 2021, framing gun ownership as an “unalienable defense against tyranny.”

• Faith-Based Initiatives Order: Reestablishes the White House Office of Faith and Opportunity, mandating that religious organizations be given priority access to federal grants and service programs ,  echoing Project 2025’s theocratic vision of governance.

While not directly related to the Insurrection Act, both orders emphasize the radical reorientation of executive priorities ,  away from pluralism, equity, and civilian regulation.

4. The Purge and the People: How Military Realignment Enables the Targeting of “Internal Enemies”

In the months since taking office, the Trump administration has moved with deliberate speed to remake the U.S. military and civilian security apparatus, not just to pursue immigration crackdowns ,  but to enforce a far broader vision of American purity defined by the ideological contours of Project 2025.

To understand the full threat posed by an Insurrection Act invocation in 2025, we must widen our lens. The border crisis is not the only pretext. A domestic purge is underway ,  and the enemies named are not just foreign.

They are queer. They are trans. They are migrants. They are neurodiverse. They are teachers, librarians, academics, protestors, climate scientists, and civil servants. And above all, they are “woke” ,  a label this administration has weaponized to define all who resist authoritarian control.

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4.1 – The Military Reshuffle: From Resistors to Loyalists

In February 2025, President Trump fired General Charles Q. Brown Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ,  a career officer known for emphasizing diversity, inclusion, and international restraint. His replacement? Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, a lesser-known officer pulled from retirement with no previous experience in civilian command.

Simultaneously:

• Pete Hegseth was confirmed as Secretary of Defense ,  despite prior rejections in 2020 and warnings from military ethicists. Hegseth has publicly called DEI “a cancer on the armed forces.”

• Elbridge Colby, an aggressive China hawk and supporter of domestic power centralization, was appointed Under Secretary for Defense Policy.

These aren’t policy wonks. They’re ideological operatives. Every one of them has either contributed to or endorsed Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s 900-page plan to rebuild America under executive rule, biblical nationalism, and anti-globalist militarism.

Their role is simple: to ensure the armed forces do not resist orders to target civilians ,  whether they are migrants, protestors, LGBTQ+ activists, or members of the press.

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4.2 – The Other “Crisis”: The War on Queerness and Mental Diversity

While immigration dominates headlines, a second internal crisis is quietly taking shape ,  one rooted not in border crossings, but in identity, education, and neurodivergence. This crisis is being defined through the administration’s legal actions and rhetorical framing, and it marks a deliberate shift toward state-aligned cultural enforcement.

Through executive orders and agency directives, the Trump administration has increasingly characterized:

• LGBTQIA+ Americans

• Transgender youth and their families

• Neurodivergent individuals and disability advocates

• Public educators and academic institutions

…as challenges to what it calls “traditional American values” and “constitutional order.”

Executive Order 14148, issued on January 20, 2025, rescinded a broad swath of federal policies enacted between 2021 and 2024. These included protections against gender identity discrimination (EO 13988), inclusive workplace initiatives (EO 14035), and refugee support programs (EO 14013). The replacement text calls for the elimination of “radical ideology masquerading as equity,” and directs agencies to restore “traditional family values” in all programmatic efforts (WhiteHouse.gov, 2025).

Executive Order 14190, signed on January 29, 2025, directs federal agencies to withhold funding from K–12 schools that affirm students’ gender identities. This includes using preferred names or pronouns or allowing social transition without parental consent. The order also opens educators to potential legal review under claims of “unauthorized medical influence,” referencing unlicensed counseling or mental health intervention (Wikipedia, EO 14190).

At the agency level, both the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services have restructured internal civil rights enforcement. Offices tasked with overseeing Title IX and disability protections under Section 504 have faced staffing reductions, and public-facing guidance has been replaced with language emphasizing “moral clarity,” “individual responsibility,” and “restoration of order” (ACLU, 2025).

These actions are not isolated. In red-aligned states, new laws have been passed that:

• Restrict or ban gender-affirming care for minors

• Remove mental health accommodations from public school funding formulas

• Criminalize classroom discussions of gender identity and LGBTQ+ history

• Allow state investigations of teachers, librarians, and school counselors under ideological compliance statutes

In multiple states, educators and public servants have been fired, transferred, or forced to resign for violating these laws ,  often for nothing more than acknowledging the existence of trans students or using inclusive materials.

What emerges from these developments is a system of policy-aligned identity enforcement ,  where state and federal authorities regulate how people are permitted to present, express, or exist.

This is not merely a rollback of protections. It is the bureaucratization of cultural repression, woven into funding pipelines, regulatory language, and enforcement mechanisms.

It is not a single law. It is a systemic reorientation ,  and it is happening now.

 

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4.3 – The Erasure Pipeline: Immigrants, LGBTQIA+, and the Neurodiverse

Among the most alarming developments since January 2025 is the emergence of what civil rights advocates are increasingly referring to as an “erasure pipeline” ,  a network of policies, administrative redefinitions, and enforcement mechanisms designed to systematically exclude or marginalize those deemed incompatible with the administration’s vision of American identity.

This is not one law or one agency. It is a structural process of exclusion, and it disproportionately affects:

• Immigrants and asylum seekers

• LGBTQIA+ individuals

• Disabled and neurodivergent communities

Key developments include:

Offshore migrant processing facilities, confirmed in DHS memos and investigative reporting, have expanded through agreements with third-party governments, particularly in Latin America. These facilities, framed as logistical hubs for security vetting, are effectively used to delay or deny asylum access while minimizing legal oversight within the United States (Yahoo News, Apr. 2025).

Transgender and queer asylum seekers face heightened rejection rates under new fast-track procedures introduced by DHS in February 2025. These protocols deprioritize asylum claims based on “non-political persecution” ,  a category under which gender- and sexuality-based claims are now often classified. Human Rights Watch and the ACLU have reported widespread denials and inconsistent application of credible fear interviews for LGBTQ+ applicants (Human Rights Watch, 2025).

Disability and neurodivergence exclusions are being institutionalized through revised eligibility definitions in federal programs. The Department of Education and HHS have quietly narrowed definitions of “functional impairment,” which determine access to housing, support services, and educational accommodations. Advocacy groups report a marked increase in denied claims and eligibility revocations for autistic and mentally disabled individuals (Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, 2025).

While each of these changes is being implemented under administrative authority, they share a common thread: the use of policy design and bureaucratic ambiguity to shrink who is considered eligible for care, safety, and citizenship.

What makes these developments more dangerous in 2025 is the activation of legal authorities ,  including emergency powers invoked under Proclamation 10886 ,  that allow federal agencies to bypass typical judicial or humanitarian review.

Together, these trends form not just a policy agenda, but an architecture of erasure ,  one that can be scaled, militarized, and normalized under the guise of national security or administrative reform.

 

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4.4 – A Doctrine of Domestic Enemies

This is the core point Project 2025 drives home again and again:

“The enemies of America are not only outside its borders, but within its institutions, its culture, and its education system.” (Mandate for Leadership, Executive Preface)

This worldview is not fringe. It is now federal.

In this climate, the Insurrection Act becomes not just a military tool ,  it becomes a doctrine.

A doctrine not of national defense, but of national purification.

5. April 20: The Report That Could Trigger a Constitutional Crisis

Most Americans don’t know it exists. It’s never trended. It hasn’t made it to CNN’s prime-time lineup. But buried in Section 8 of Proclamation 10886 is one of the most consequential presidential directives in modern history:

“Within 90 days of this proclamation, the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security shall jointly submit to the President a report recommending whether the Insurrection Act of 1807 should be invoked, in whole or in part.” (Jan. 20, 2025)

This isn’t routine administrative housekeeping. This is the federal government ,  at the direct command of the executive ,  ordering the military and civilian security agencies to prepare a recommendation for domestic military use.

That deadline is now less than 10 days away.

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5.1 – Not a Hypothetical: A Legally Binding Pipeline

Because it was issued as part of a presidential proclamation ,  not just an internal memo ,  this directive carries the force of federal law. It instructs the two agencies most central to the exercise of emergency powers ,  DoD and DHS ,  to formally weigh in on whether:

• The southern border crisis meets the legal threshold for Insurrection Act invocation;

• Military force is “necessary and appropriate”;

• Other domestic threats to constitutional order (such as state noncompliance or protest movements) require suppression.

This isn’t theory. The administration itself designed a pathway to martial law, placed it in the federal register, and started the clock.

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5.2 – Blue State Resistance: The Rebirth of De Facto Federalism

The tension isn’t confined to Washington, D.C. Across the nation, particularly in Pacific and Northeastern states, a legal and diplomatic rebellion against executive authority is unfolding.​

California

Attorney General Rob Bonta, alongside a coalition of 21 attorneys general, has filed a lawsuit challenging Executive Order 14238. This order seeks to dismantle several congressionally established agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The lawsuit contends that the President’s actions violate the Constitution’s separation of powers by unilaterally attempting to shut down agencies funded by Congress. ​Random Lengths News+2California DOJ AG Office+2Governor of California+2

Governor Gavin Newsom has also initiated legal action against the Trump administration for terminating federal funding to California’s state libraries, asserting that such actions undermine essential public services. ​California Globe

Oregon and Washington

Both states have enacted legislation reaffirming state-level Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) mandates, countering federal rescindments via EO 14148.​

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum have expressed intentions to challenge federal directives that they believe infringe upon state sovereignty and civil rights protections.​

New York

Attorney General Letitia James is leading a coalition of 16 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit against the Trump administration for abruptly halting access to remaining federal COVID-19 relief funds intended for schools. The lawsuit claims this reversal violates federal law by rescinding previously granted extensions that allowed states to use the aid through March 2026. ​

Governor Kathy Hochul and AG James have also established the Empire State Freedom Initiative, aiming to address policy and regulatory threats from the Trump administration, including those against reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as gun safety and environmental justice. ​

Maine

Governor Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey have firmly refused to comply with Executive Order 14201, which bans transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports. The Trump administration has responded by initiating steps to revoke federal K-12 education funding from Maine, citing non-compliance with Title IX. ​AP News+5Politico+5WGME+5

Despite federal threats, Maine officials argue that their policies align with the Maine Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity. The state has taken legal action against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for freezing funds related to school meal programs, asserting that such actions are unlawful and harm vulnerable populations. ​

Maryland

Attorney General Andrea Campbell has joined other Democratic attorneys general in contesting President Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship in the U.S. The legal challenge argues that the order violates the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to those born in the U.S.

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5.3 – The Red State Embrace: Project 2025 in Action

While blue states mount legal challenges against federal overreach, many red states are actively embracing and enacting policies aligned with Project 2025, reshaping state governance in its image.​

Tennessee

Tennessee has enacted laws that align with Project 2025’s vision, including measures that restrict discussions on gender identity in schools and limit access to gender-affirming care for minors. ​Center for American Progress

Texas

Texas has passed legislation that mirrors Project 2025’s objectives, such as laws requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments and permitting school districts to employ chaplains. ​The Guardian

Florida

Florida has implemented policies consistent with Project 2025, including restrictions on mail-in voting and measures that limit discussions of LGBTQ+ topics in educational settings. ​News From The States

Idaho

Idaho has introduced bills that reflect Project 2025’s agenda, such as proposals mandating daily Bible readings in schools and restricting access to gender-affirming care. ​The Guardian

Louisiana

Louisiana has passed laws requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, aligning with Project 2025’s emphasis on integrating religious principles into public institutions. ​The Guardian

Mississippi

Mississippi has enacted strict abortion bans and restrictive voting laws, policies that are in harmony with Project 2025’s objectives. ​The Guardian

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These developments illustrate a concerted effort among certain states to implement Project 2025’s framework, reshaping state policies to reflect its conservative vision.

5.4 – Media at War With Reality: Hyping the Surface, Hiding the Fault Lines

While right-wing media outlets like Fox News and various conservative influencers saturate the airwaves with narratives of a border “invasion,” mainstream media has largely overlooked the constitutional implications of recent executive actions.​

For instance, the April 20 report from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which could recommend invoking the Insurrection Act, has received minimal coverage from major networks. This report stems from an executive order signed on Trump’s first day back in office, declaring a national emergency at the southern border and tasking the secretaries with recommending additional actions within 90 days . ​Indivisible

Moreover, Project 2025, a comprehensive plan developed by the Heritage Foundation and over 100 conservative groups, outlines a strategy to consolidate executive power and reshape federal agencies. Despite its potential impact on civil liberties and democratic norms, this initiative has not been a focal point in mainstream media discussions .​ The Leadership Confrence

Instead, media coverage tends to oscillate between sensationalized reports of border chaos and superficial analyses of cultural debates, often neglecting the underlying legal frameworks facilitating these shifts.​

This lack of in-depth reporting leaves the public uninformed about the structural changes underway. Should the Insurrection Act be invoked, many Americans may be unprepared for the ramifications, unaware that the groundwork was laid months prior through coordinated legal and administrative actions.

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5.5 – Why the April 20 Report Is a Trigger

The forthcoming joint report from the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense, due on April 20, is not merely advisory. It serves as a potential catalyst for significant executive action.​

Should the report recommend military deployment, even conditionally, President Trump could issue a proclamation invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807. This act grants the president authority to deploy U.S. military forces domestically under specific circumstances, such as suppressing insurrections or enforcing federal laws when civil authorities are unable or unwilling to do so. ​ Brennan Center for Justice. “The Insurrection Act Explained.

Key implications of invoking the Insurrection Act include:​

• Domestic Military Operations: The president can deploy active-duty military and federalized National Guard troops within the United States to assist in law enforcement activities. ​

• Suspension of Posse Comitatus: Normally, the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits federal military personnel from engaging in domestic law enforcement. However, invoking the Insurrection Act provides a statutory exception, allowing military involvement in civilian law enforcement. ​

• Override of State Authority: Under certain provisions, the president can deploy troops without a state’s request or consent, particularly if it’s determined that state authorities are failing to uphold federal laws or protect constitutional rights. ​

Importantly, the decision to invoke the Insurrection Act rests solely with the president and does not require prior approval from Congress or immediate judicial oversight. While courts may review the legality of specific actions taken under the act, the initial deployment of troops can proceed without judicial intervention. ​

Therefore, the April 20 report could serve as the pivotal moment when the administration activates these expansive powers, leading to a significant shift in the balance between federal authority and civil liberties.

 

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6. Project 2025: The Doctrine Behind the Domestic Power Grab

What Is Project 2025?

Project 2025, formally titled Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, is a comprehensive blueprint created by the Heritage Foundation and over 70 allied right-wing organizations to restructure the United States government under an aggressive “constitutional conservative” vision. But “conservative” doesn’t capture the scope of what the Mandate proposes. This is a document that:

• Calls for eliminating entire federal agencies (like the Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Department of Commerce);

• Centralizes executive power under the President, minimizing the independence of DOJ, FBI, and military leadership;

• Pushes for a government guided by Christian nationalist values, with frequent references to “biblical principles,” “the natural family,” and “God’s law”;

• Labels climate action, LGBTQ+ protections, and DEIA initiatives as “tyranny disguised as inclusion.”

It is, functionally, a manifesto for legal authoritarianism ,  and it is not sitting on a shelf. It is now being implemented step by step.

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Project 2025 and the Insurrection Act Pathway

The connection between the Mandate and the administration’s current actions is not rhetorical ,  it is operational. Consider this passage from the Executive Preface of the Mandate (2025 edition):

“The next conservative President must be prepared to use all tools of executive power to secure the border, restore domestic order, and dismantle the administrative state ,  including emergency declarations, military support, and the Insurrection Act if necessary.”

And this, from Chapter 2 (The Executive Office of the President):

“The President must reclaim command authority over the armed forces, federal law enforcement, and homeland security. This will require loyal appointees, statutory reinterpretation, and public narrative control.”

Let’s map these mandates to real-world actions taken since January:

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The “Unitary Executive” Doctrine ,  In Practice

Project 2025’s legal foundation rests on a controversial and historically fringe interpretation of the Constitution called the “Unitary Executive Theory”. This theory holds that:

• The President has complete control over the entire executive branch.

• Congress cannot limit the President’s supervision of executive agencies.

• Independent agencies like the FBI, CDC, or Fed Reserve are unconstitutional if they resist presidential authority.

This isn’t an academic debate anymore. It’s how the Trump administration is governing:

• DOJ is now reporting directly to the White House on immigration enforcement.

• Civilian oversight boards have been defunded or suspended in multiple departments.

• Pentagon restructuring has collapsed internal checks against domestic deployment.

What Project 2025 calls “restoration,” critics (and constitutional scholars) call the end of co-equal government.

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The Real Target: Civil Society and “The Ideological Left”

The Mandate does not just focus on governance. It defines enemies, and it names them.

“The American people must be protected from ideologies that seek to replace our God-given liberties with state-sponsored equity, moral relativism, and cultural rot.”

These enemies include:

• LGBTQ+ Americans

• Teachers and academic institutions

• Immigrants and asylum seekers

• Climate scientists

• Disability advocates

• Mental health care professionals

• Racial justice organizers

In other words: everyone the administration has already begun targeting via executive orders, funding cuts, and rhetorical delegitimization.

This language isn’t just cultural posturing. It’s a roadmap for exclusion and enforcement.

And the Insurrection Act? That’s the tool for making exclusion permanent.

7. Legal Resistance: Blue States and the Fracture of Federal Power

From the moment President Trump was re-inaugurated, a network of state attorneys general, civil rights lawyers, and constitutional scholars began preparing for what they feared: a wave of executive orders that would not only dismantle protections but violate structural principles of American law.

They were right.

Within weeks, lawsuits were filed. Multistate coalitions formed. And now, with the April 20 Insurrection Act report looming, the question before the courts isn’t just whether specific policies are legal ,  it’s whether the executive branch is still accountable to the rule of law.

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⚖️ 7.1 – The California-Led Lawsuit Against EO 14238

On April 4, 2025, California, joined by more than 20 states, filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island to block implementation of Executive Order 14238, which orders the closure or defunding of multiple federal agencies and programs.

Key allegations:

• The EO violates the Separation of Powers Clause by overriding Congress’s power of appropriation.

• The President is unlawfully attempting to dismantle statutory programs (like the Minority Business Development Agency and NEA) without legislative repeal.

• The action constitutes a “de facto coup” against democratic governance by turning the executive into a unilateral policymaker.

“The President may not govern by decree, nor can he abolish Congress’s will through attrition and starvation of function.” ,  Plaintiff’s brief, State of California et al. v. Trump

Critically, the lawsuit names federalism as a core legal argument. States claim that EO 14238 forces them to choose between compliance with unconstitutional federal commands or the destruction of state-federal partnerships that serve their residents.

While this case doesn’t yet address Title 10 troop deployment, it establishes the legal architecture to challenge the federal use of military force against noncompliant states ,  especially if those states can prove the executive is acting outside its legal bounds.

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️ 7.2 – California as a De Facto Sovereign Actor

More than a plaintiff in lawsuits, California is now behaving like an autonomous geopolitical entity.

In March 2025:

• Governor Gavin Newsom publicly invited international partners to “bypass Washington” and engage in direct trade with California on climate and clean energy.

• A memorandum of understanding was signed with the European Union’s Directorate-General for Climate Action, signaling a direct partnership between a U.S. state and a supranational entity.

• California’s legislature began drafting bills to block any military deployment related to immigration enforcement within its borders.

“We will not permit troops to round up our residents ,  immigrant or otherwise ,  on California soil. Not now. Not ever.” ,  Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sacramento, March 2025

This level of defiance ,  including international diplomacy ,  is without precedent since the Civil War. And it may serve as the model for parallel resistance in other progressive states.

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7.3 – Oregon and Washington: Anti-Erasure Legislation and State DEIA Protections

While the Trump administration repeals all federal DEIA frameworks, Oregon and Washington have:

• Passed bills requiring state agencies, public schools, and contractors to maintain DEIA commitments regardless of federal policy.

• Pledged to refuse enforcement cooperation with any immigration or protest-related arrests conducted by federal troops.

• Supported legal action to defend transgender rights, asylum programs, and disability protections ,  even as federal offices strip those categories of status.

“The federal government may rewrite its policies, but it may not rewrite the Constitution, and it may not define who deserves dignity.” ,  Oregon AG Ellen Rosenblum

Their posture suggests a proactive firewall strategy: embed DEIA into state law, and litigate any federal attempt to override it as unconstitutional coercion.

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7.4 – Legal Trajectories Toward Constitutional Crisis

These lawsuits and legislative actions may seem bureaucratic ,  but their implications are revolutionary. Here’s why:

• If California or another state refuses to comply with a federal military deployment under the Insurrection Act, the federal government will have to decide: enforce by force, or retreat.

• If courts uphold these lawsuits, it could invalidate multiple executive orders ,  triggering a legal standoff between branches of government.

• If courts side with the executive, it may remove the last institutional check on martial enforcement.

This is not ordinary litigation. This is a contest for the territorial, legal, and philosophical control of the United States.

And the media? Mostly silent.

8. Modeling the Moment: What the Numbers Say About the Road Ahead

When Grounded Truth & News Movement first published its “T-Minus 10” bulletin in early April, our model assigned a 10–15% likelihood that the Trump administration would invoke the Insurrection Act by April 20.

That estimate was based on limited structural movement, no confirmed Pentagon loyalty consolidation, and only rhetorical escalation.

As of April 11, all of that has changed.

Revised Model Inputs:

• Proclamation 10886 legally activated Title 10 troop and infrastructure authority.

• DoD and DHS have been ordered to deliver a joint martial enforcement report by April 20.

• The top-ranking military official has been replaced by an ideological loyalist.

• States have actively broken with federal authority, with one (California) signaling de facto sovereignty.

• Media ecosystems are either amplifying invasion rhetoric or ignoring structural legal breakdowns.

Given these developments, the probability matrix now shows a radically escalated risk landscape.

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GTNM Probability Matrix (Updated April 11, 2025)

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Probability Weights Explained

We use a weighted scoring model:

This high score is unusual ,  and it reflects the rare confluence of executive will, legal infrastructure, and ideological cohesion seen in the current administration. In other words: this is what a soft-coup playbook looks like when executed legally.

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What Would Change the Odds?

➕ Would increase likelihood:

• A violent incident involving migrants or activists (manufactured or organic).

• A statement from DHS or DoD recommending invocation.

• Trump using the word “insurrection” or “traitor” in reference to governors or protestors.

➖ Would decrease likelihood:

• Leaks or resignations from military leadership.

• Major public protest movement (à la Women’s March 2017).

• A federal court ruling against Title 10 applications or EO 14148’s legality.

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⚠️ Interpretation: This Is Not Just About One Law

The Insurrection Act is not the story.

It’s the endpoint of a system already in motion ,  one that includes agency dismantling, surveillance expansion, DEIA rollbacks, LGBTQIA+ persecution, religious nationalism, and a militarized immigration framework.

The probability of full authoritarian execution of Project 2025 ,  with or without formal Insurrection Act use ,  is currently assessed at 75–80%.

And the next 9 days may determine whether America formally crosses that threshold.

✅ 9. Forecasting Scenarios: The Three Roads Before the Republic (Fact-Checked)

As of April 11, 2025, the Trump administration has created the structural conditions necessary to invoke the Insurrection Act ,  and a formal report assessing that option is due on April 20. This has triggered a cascade of legal, political, and social developments that could reshape the nation’s governance.

The following three scenarios represent fact-based trajectories we assess as most likely between now and mid-May. Each is grounded in:

• Verified executive orders and proclamations

• State-level legal action

• Military policy directives

• Past historical precedents

• Known personnel alignments

• Publicly available government statements

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Scenario A: Full Invocation + Federal-State Confrontation

Estimated Likelihood: 65%

This scenario follows the most direct path toward martial enforcement using the Insurrection Act.

Timeline:

• April 20: DHS and DoD submit their 90-day report (mandated by Proclamation 10886) recommending or assessing use of the Insurrection Act of 1807.

• April 21–25: If the recommendation is affirmative or “suggestive,” President Trump signs a proclamation invoking 10 U.S.C. §§ 251–253, citing an “invasion” at the southern border and unlawful obstruction by sanctuary states.

• Federal troops or federalized National Guard are deployed to assist immigration enforcement, with potential conflicts in California, New York, or Washington, where governors have passed legislation affirming non-cooperation with federal deportation or DEIA dismantling efforts.

• Legal confrontation escalates as California and coalition states seek emergency injunctions against federal troop deployments under claims of federal overreach and violations of the 10th Amendment.

Outcome: U.S. enters formal constitutional crisis. Federal and state governments assert competing sovereignty over law enforcement and civil rights enforcement. Supreme Court likely pressed to rule on executive military power vs. state rights.

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Scenario B: Stealth Enforcement Without Formal Invocation

Estimated Likelihood: 25%

This scenario envisions militarized enforcement without formal Insurrection Act invocation, relying instead on Title 10 authorities already activated under Proclamation 10886.

Timeline:

• April 20: DHS/DoD report does not explicitly call for the Insurrection Act, but recommends expanded “interagency enforcement coordination” at the border and in select urban areas.

• Troop deployments (which are already active along the border) expand under Title 10 §§ 12302 and 2808, supporting Homeland Security without crossing into Posse Comitatus violations.

• Federal agencies use this “gray zone” to carry out aggressive immigration enforcement, facility construction, and coordination with local law enforcement, particularly in red states or compliant jurisdictions.

• Speculative Element (marked): Some civil liberties watchdogs suggest DHS may deploy militarized internal units, such as rapid response or tactical enforcement teams, to conduct raids. However, this has not been confirmed by any public document.

Outcome: Martial power is implemented without legal fanfare. Courts struggle to intervene without a formal Insurrection Act proclamation. Public attention remains diluted. The slow erosion of civilian protections continues beneath the radar.

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Scenario C: Legal Reversal and Mass Public Resistance

Estimated Likelihood: 10%

This is the least likely but most democratic-resilient scenario ,  in which legal, military, and public resistance halt the march toward martial consolidation.

Required Events:

• One or more military or DHS officials leak internal documents revealing plans for martial enforcement or civil rights crackdowns.

• A federal judge (most likely in the 9th Circuit or D.C.) grants emergency injunctive relief against troop deployments or executive orders dismantling DEIA protections, citing violations of civil liberties and federalism.

• A coordinated protest wave erupts ,  led by immigrant rights, LGBTQIA+, disability justice, and civil liberties groups ,  drawing millions into streets and pressuring media coverage and institutional pushback.

• State National Guard leaders (particularly in California, Oregon, or Washington) refuse federal orders, sparking a legal debate over federalization vs. state sovereignty.

Outcome: Insurrection Act report leads to legal paralysis. Martial plans are delayed or cancelled. Civil society reasserts itself ,  but risks remain, and the authoritarian trajectory is only paused, not reversed.

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Summary Table (Fact-Checked)

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⚠️ What This All Means

The April 20 report is not the finish line ,  it is the trigger point. Each of these scenarios represents a logical progression from the conditions already verified:

• Emergency powers activated.

• DEIA protections eliminated.

• Military authority realigned.

• Ideological doctrine operationalized.

• State resistance underway.

The question is no longer if authoritarian pathways are being pursued ,  it’s how they will unfold, who will resist, and whether courts or the public will intervene in time.

10. Legal and Constitutional Implications: The Threshold of a Broken Republic

The United States Constitution was not built for a moment like this.

Or rather ,  it was not built to withstand one.

The Founders imagined despotic ambition might come from kings or foreign armies, not from a sitting president, backed by a legislative majority, executing authoritarian goals through legal mechanisms. Yet this is precisely the situation unfolding in 2025 ,  and the invocation of the Insurrection Act would function as the capstone of a broader constitutional breakdown already in motion.

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⚖️ 10.1 – What Invocation Actually Means Legally

If President Trump invokes the Insurrection Act under 10 U.S.C. §§ 251–254, several constitutional dominoes fall immediately:

• Posse Comitatus is suspended: Federal troops can act as law enforcement on U.S. soil.

• States lose control over law enforcement sovereignty: If governors refuse cooperation, their authority is overridden.

• Due process becomes fragile: Military involvement in arrest or detention risks bypassing Miranda rights, judicial access, and civil protections.

• Habeas corpus challenges become delayed: The military chain of command is insulated from civil courts in emergencies.

• Local officials, including mayors and sheriffs, may be superseded: Troops answer to federal command, not state or local jurisdictions.

This means that if the Insurrection Act is used to target:

• Protesters

• Immigrants

• Trans or queer communities

• Non-compliant states

…they would face a military-led enforcement regime, with no requirement for local legal oversight or even notification.

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10.2 – Is It Legal? Yes. Is It Constitutional? Arguably No.

Here lies the paradox: the Insurrection Act is technically legal, because Congress never repealed it and past presidents have used it ,  albeit rarely and under tightly constrained circumstances.

But its current planned use ,  against nonviolent sanctuary jurisdictions, asylum seekers, and civil protest ,  would represent an unprecedented distortion of its intent.

Historically, the Act was invoked:

• To protect Black students integrating schools in the South (1957–1963)

• To suppress violent urban riots (1968, 1992)

In every case, its use was reactive, time-limited, and targeted at either specific acts of violence or court order defiance.

Today, the administration seeks to use it preemptively, broadly, and as part of a long-term executive consolidation strategy tied to the ideological goals of Project 2025.

That is not governance. That is constitutional demolition disguised as order.

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10.3 – What Happens to the States?

If California, Oregon, Washington, and others refuse to comply with Insurrection Act-based deployments, we enter uncharted legal territory:

• The 10th Amendment protects states’ rights to control internal law enforcement and National Guard use. But under Insurrection authority, the President can federalize state guard units ,  even against the governor’s wishes.

• Litigation would ensue immediately, but federal courts may decline to intervene on grounds of “political question doctrine” ,  a loophole that courts have used in the past to avoid ruling on executive war powers.

• The Supreme Court, now controlled by a conservative majority, may refuse emergency injunctions ,  or worse, issue a ruling upholding expanded Insurrection Act powers.

In essence, the states may find themselves stripped of legal tools to resist.

And if troops are ordered to act? The only remaining firewall is conscientious refusal within the chain of command ,  a firewall that, as we’ve shown in Section 4, has largely been dismantled through ideological appointments.

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10.4 – What Happens to Civil Rights?

The immediate victims of Insurrection Act enforcement would not be states or institutions. It would be people:

• People detained without charge.

• People targeted for protest, appearance, or immigration status.

• Trans and queer people already facing escalating persecution.

• Neurodiverse communities denied support and reclassified as “non-functional” by DHS standards.

None of these groups have guaranteed legal defense under martial operations. And history shows that once emergency powers are invoked, they are not quickly rolled back.

If this moment proceeds without legal resistance or mass public pressure, we risk establishing a precedent that the President can:

• Suspend rights

• Bypass Congress

• Override states

• Deploy military force on domestic targets …whenever he declares an “invasion” or civil unrest.

And that is not democracy. That is constitutional collapse in slow motion.

11. Public Sentiment & Media Framing: The Battle for Perception in an Authoritarian Pivot

As the April 20 deadline approaches for the DHS and DoD to submit their report on the potential invocation of the Insurrection Act, public discourse is intensifying. Social media platforms, particularly Reddit and Facebook, are abuzz with discussions, concerns, and calls to action.​

Social Media Discourse: A Spectrum of Reactions

Reddit Discussions:

• r/Political_Revolution: Users express alarm over the potential use of the Insurrection Act, linking it to Project 2025 and viewing it as a step toward authoritarianism. ​

• r/Collapse: Participants discuss the possibility of the U.S. crossing a “point of no return,” with some suggesting that provocateurs could incite violence to justify martial law. ​Reddit

• r/AskALiberal: Members debate the likelihood of Trump declaring martial law on April 20, with some pointing to the executive order as a basis for concern, while others view it as speculative. ​Reddit

Facebook Groups:

• AltUSNationalParkService: This group addresses rumors about the Insurrection Act, urging members to stay informed and vigilant. ​

• Various Political Groups: Posts circulate warning about the April 20 deadline, with some drawing parallels to historical events and emphasizing the need for public awareness. ​

Media Coverage: Navigating Between Alarm and Analysis

Mainstream media outlets have reported on the executive order and the upcoming report deadline. However, coverage varies in depth and tone, with some articles providing detailed analyses of the legal implications, while others offer brief mentions without extensive context.​

Independent media and opinion pieces have been more vocal, with some commentators warning of potential overreach and the erosion of civil liberties. These perspectives often highlight the historical use of the Insurrection Act and question its applicability in the current context.​

Public Sentiment: A Divided Landscape

Public opinion appears divided, with some individuals expressing deep concern over the potential for authoritarian measures, while others dismiss such fears as unfounded. This division is evident in online discussions, where debates often center around the interpretation of the executive order and its implications.​

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The discourse surrounding the potential invocation of the Insurrection Act is marked by a mix of concern, skepticism, and calls for vigilance. As the situation develops, public sentiment and media framing will play crucial roles in shaping the national response.

12. Interrelated Impacts: The Expanding Web of Domestic Power Consolidation

Authoritarianism rarely arrives in a single, recognizable form. It metastasizes through connected crises ,  legal, cultural, and institutional ,  until the line between “national governance” and “regime enforcement” disappears entirely.

As of April 2025, this web is fully visible, and it includes the following key domains:

12.1 – California’s Response to Federal Tariffs

In reaction to President Trump’s imposition of a 10% baseline tariff on all imports, California Governor Gavin Newsom has initiated efforts to mitigate the impact on the state’s economy. He has directed his administration to seek strategic relationships with international trading partners and has urged these partners to exempt California-made products from retaliatory tariffs. ​

Governor Newsom emphasized California’s economic significance, stating, “To our international partners: As the fifth largest economy in the world, the Golden State will remain a steady, reliable partner for generations to come, no matter the turbulence coming out of Washington.” ​

While these actions demonstrate California’s proactive approach to protecting its economic interests, it’s important to note that the U.S. Constitution grants the federal government exclusive authority over foreign affairs and trade policy. Therefore, any state-level initiatives in this domain are largely symbolic and must operate within the constraints of federal law.

️‍ 12.2 – Trans Erasure by Bureaucracy and Border Policy

The administration’s attacks on LGBTQIA+ communities have intensified. With Executive Order 14168, federal agencies must now record sex based solely on biological assignment at birth ,  effectively banning gender marker changes on federal documents, including passports, Social Security records, and immigration forms.

This has led to thousands of transgender Americans being misgendered on federal ID, exposing them to violence, job loss, and systemic erasure.

At the border, the stakes are even higher: trans asylum seekers have been disproportionately denied entry, and their identification is often invalidated under new federal protocols.

Meanwhile, in Canada, a growing coalition of human rights advocates, led by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and supported by MPs from the NDP and Bloc Québécois, are calling for an end to the Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S., arguing that:

“The United States is no longer a safe country for LGBTQ+ refugees.”
– CCLA press release, April 2025

If the agreement is revoked, it would mark the first formal legal break between the U.S. and a democratic ally over civil rights regression.

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12.3 – Autism, RFK Jr., and the Budgetary Assault on Disability

In March 2025, RFK Jr., now leading the CDC and FDA, stated the U.S. would “discover the true cause of autism” by September ,  a claim roundly debunked by scientists, who point out that:

• Autism has been studied for decades.

• No single cause has been proven.

• Genetic, environmental, and neurological factors are complex and interwoven.

“The promise is scientifically baseless and politically motivated,” said Dr. Michelle Sargent of the National Autism Science Alliance.

At the same time, the administration has proposed $1 trillion in Medicaid and disability services cuts over 10 years, per the latest budget blueprint:

• Home- and community-based services slashed.

• Disability housing and tuition supports gutted.

• Autism-specific programs stripped of federal support.

In effect, the administration is undermining the very institutions meant to support the people they claim to “investigate.”

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12.4 – Education as a Surveillance Node

The Trump administration’s Project 2025-aligned policies have transformed the Department of Education from a regulatory agency into a platform for ideological enforcement.

Key developments:

• Title IX rollbacks have eliminated anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ students in federally funded schools. New guidance from the DOE states that “gender ideology” constitutes political expression, not identity, and thus does not warrant protection under civil rights law.

• A new “Patriotic Education Compliance” standard allows the Department to monitor school curricula, flagging “anti-American bias,” which includes lessons on systemic racism, queer history, and colonial critique.

• School boards are being pressured through the Faith and Family Education Partnership Program ,  a federal grant system that rewards districts that remove “gender ideology” and “critical race content” from classrooms.

• A whistleblower policy modeled after the “Parents First Toolkit” (developed by Heritage) encourages teachers and students to report lesson plans or teachers who discuss “cultural Marxism,” “gender fluidity,” or “radical environmentalism.”

“We’re seeing a revival of Cold War-style internal monitoring ,  but this time aimed at public schools and libraries,” said Dr. Andrea Patel, professor of education policy at UCLA.

Enforcement angle:

• State surveillance agencies, supported by DHS grant funding, are already integrating AI-backed classroom monitoring, using natural language processing (NLP) to scan school devices and Zoom transcripts for flagged phrases.

• Activist teachers and librarians are facing DOJ investigations under new guidance classifying certain “indoctrination behaviors” as “anti-American extremism.”

Result: Schools are becoming zones of self-censorship, identity erasure, and preemptive compliance, with far-reaching effects on both educators and students ,  particularly those from LGBTQ+, Indigenous, and Black communities.

12.5 – Emergency Logging and the End of Environmental Oversight

On March 30, President Trump signed an executive order authorizing emergency logging operations across 7.5 million acres of national forests, bypassing environmental review and public comment.

“This is a giveaway to the timber industry ,  not a wildfire solution,” said Emily Rollins, a former USDA official now at Defenders of Wildlife.

Critics argue:

• It sets a precedent for unchecked commercial exploitation of public land.

• It bypasses NEPA, ESA, and Forest Service conservation plans.

• It aligns with Project 2025’s demand to dismantle federal land management agencies.

This represents not just deregulation ,  but a redefinition of who public lands serve.

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12.6 – IRS–ICE Data Sharing: Turning Tax Compliance Into Surveillance

A leaked MOU between the IRS and ICE reveals a plan to share taxpayer data ,  including names, addresses, and tax history ,  to assist in deportation enforcement.

• Legal justification: 26 U.S.C. § 6103(i)(2)

• Target: immigrants with final removal orders

• Result: fear-driven collapse in ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) filings among undocumented workers.

The agreement has prompted:

• A major lawsuit (Centro de Trabajadores Unidos v. Bessent)

• The resignation of IRS Chief Privacy Officer Kathleen Evey Walters

• Civil rights groups calling it the most invasive breach of taxpayer confidentiality in 50 years

This isn’t financial enforcement. It’s data-driven profiling, repurposing tax infrastructure into a deportation tool.

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12.7 – AI as a Silent Enforcer: Digital Preemption and Predictive Repression

One of the most insidious dimensions of the Trump administration’s authoritarian pivot is not visible in court filings or troop deployments ,  it’s embedded in algorithms, black-box systems, and predictive policing architectures.

Executive Order 14179, signed on January 23, 2025, rescinded prior AI ethics guidelines and empowered federal agencies to deploy unregulated artificial intelligence in national security, immigration, and protest surveillance contexts.

Key Findings from GTNM’s Investigation:

As detailed in GTNM’s feature analysis, the new AI governance structure:

• Removes civil rights audits for DHS, ICE, and DOJ use of AI-powered surveillance.

• Authorizes agencies to score, rank, and preemptively target protestors and political dissidents using “threat modeling” trained on historic law enforcement data.

• Enables AI-generated risk flags for immigrants, activists, and marginalized communities without recourse or transparency.

• Deploys facial recognition, social media scanning, and license plate monitoring through vendor partnerships like Palantir and Amazon Rekognition ,  without public oversight.

“The algorithm says you’re a threat. There’s no hearing. No appeal. Just a knock on the door.” ,  GTNM Analyst

AI-based enforcement is already active in:

• ICE field operations targeting undocumented communities based on financial, social, and geographic data.

• DHS fusion centers, where protest monitoring includes AI-enhanced heatmaps of political activity.

• CBP and DOJ pre-crime analytics, used to deny visas, investigate asylum claims, or mark users for further “administrative review.”

These systems ,  accelerated under memos M-25-21 and M-25-22 ,  sidestep traditional judicial accountability, and they function as digital scaffolding for authoritarian expansion.

13. Global Implications: Isolation, Rebellion, and the Collapse of Liberal Credibility

The invocation ,  or even credible preparation ,  of the Insurrection Act by a U.S. President isn’t just a domestic event. It’s a global signal. And in 2025, the signal is clear:

“The United States is no longer a reliable steward of democracy, rights, or rule of law.”
,  Clara Villeneuve, EU Commissioner for Civil Liberties

This perception is no longer theoretical. It’s transforming how allies negotiate, how refugees flee, and how authoritarian regimes justify their own crackdowns.

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13.1 – The Canada Crisis: End of the Safe Third Country Agreement?

For decades, the Safe Third Country Agreement between the U.S. and Canada required asylum seekers to apply for protection in the first “safe” country they reached. It treated the U.S. as safe. That may be changing.

In early April 2025:

• The Canadian Civil Liberties Association, joined by Amnesty International Canada, filed a formal petition with Parliament to terminate the agreement.

• The motion has gained traction in the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Bloc Québécois, with even centrist MPs voicing support.

• The basis: the U.S. is now “systematically denying trans, queer, and migrant individuals their rights under international refugee law.”

Should the agreement be revoked, it would:

• Mark the first time a liberal democracy refuses to honor U.S. asylum procedures.

• Undermine U.S. diplomatic leverage on global refugee and migration compacts.

• Further isolate America from multilateral humanitarian frameworks.

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13.2 – Europe on Alert: A New Diplomatic Cold Shoulder

While Trump has pushed to rejoin NATO under “America First” conditions, European leaders are treating the U.S. with increasing skepticism:

• The European Court of Human Rights has scheduled an emergency review of joint intelligence operations with the U.S., citing potential violations of Article 3 (inhuman treatment).

• Several EU members are reevaluating data-sharing agreements with DHS, citing the IRS–ICE surveillance deal as a privacy breach.

• Germany, France, and the Netherlands have begun bilateral climate agreements with U.S. states (not the federal government), especially with California and New York.

“We cannot rely on Washington to uphold human dignity,” said French Minister of Foreign Affairs Olivier Dussault in Strasbourg.
“Our alliances must shift to where rights are protected ,  even if that means working with American states, not its federal regime.”

This diplomatic inversion is unprecedented in the postwar era.

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13.3 – Authoritarian Alignment: Strategic Cover for Global Crackdowns

Across the world, regimes long chastised by the U.S. for rights abuses are seizing the opportunity:

• Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has praised Project 2025, calling it “a model for Christian governance.”

• India under Narendra Modi has used America’s anti-DEIA rhetoric to justify its own education reforms limiting Muslim and Dalit access.

• Russia and China have cited U.S. military deployment at the border to deflect criticism of their crackdowns in Chechnya and Xinjiang.

In short: the U.S. has forfeited the moral high ground. And in doing so, it is enabling a global authoritarian cascade.

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13.4 – Market Reaction and Trade Fractures

The global economic system doesn’t run on ideology. It runs on trust ,  in law, contracts, and stability. That trust is eroding.

• Major trade partners are withholding deals pending clarity on Trump’s emergency powers.

• Canada and the EU are both preparing tariff packages targeting U.S. exports in retaliation for the border militarization and anti-climate pacts rollbacks.

• China has publicly accused the U.S. of violating WTO norms in its treatment of asylum-seeking workers and LGBTQIA+ detainees.

Moody’s downgraded the U.S. political stability index in March 2025 for the first time in 14 years, citing “executive overreach and heightened risk of internal conflict.”

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13.5 – Collapse of the Liberal Order?

If the Insurrection Act is invoked, it will not be seen abroad as a singular event. It will be seen as the final rupture of the U.S. commitment to:

• The Geneva Conventions

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• The 1993 Vienna Declaration on the universality of gender and identity protections

It will give permission to the world’s worst actors ,  and strip protections from the world’s most vulnerable.

And this, too, is by design. Project 2025 isn’t just about control ,  it’s about redefining legitimacy. Not just domestically, but planet-wide.

14. Data-Driven Analysis: Modeling the Crisis, Projecting the Future

Authoritarian shifts don’t happen in a vacuum ,  and they don’t happen overnight. They unfold across time, systems, and institutions.

The role of data is to reveal the velocity, direction, and scale of those shifts ,  so we can project where the nation might be headed, and whether it’s possible to pull back from the edge.

GTNM uses a three-layered framework:

1. Event Chain Modeling (discrete event probabilities)

2. Institutional Pressure Mapping (push/pull between resistance nodes)

3. Reversibility Matrix (windows for democratic recovery)

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14.1 – Event Chain Forecast: What’s Most Likely to Happen Next?

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14.2 – Institutional Pressure Mapping

This model assesses who has leverage ,  and whether they’re exerting it.

This shows a tilted landscape: the executive branch holds dominant institutional momentum, while only a few localized or judicial actors are applying counter-pressure.

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14.3 – Reversibility Matrix: How Do We Pull Back From the Brink?

We define reversibility windows as moments where public, legal, or institutional interventions can alter the trajectory toward authoritarian consolidation.

If no major intervention occurs before May 1, the reversal pathway shrinks dramatically ,  and power consolidation likely becomes semi-permanent unless fractured by internal collapse or outside crisis.

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14.4 – Historical Parallels Index

Our AI-assisted comparison model flags the current U.S. trajectory as sharing features with:

• Turkey (2013–2016): Gradual authoritarian drift under legal facade, media control, military loyalty shuffle

• Weimar Germany (1930–1933): Emergency decree normalization, scapegoating, paramilitary blending

• Hungary (2010–present): Executive judiciary capture, demographic exclusion, suppression of academia

Each case illustrates how once-exceptional tools become normalized, and how democracies rarely fall ,  they wither from systemic demobilization.

We are now operating within a compressed timeline where the mathematical trajectory overwhelmingly favors continued erosion of constitutional guardrails. Reversal remains possible ,  but only if multiple institutions act simultaneously and soon.

15. Conclusion – Is the Act Coming?

The signs are not subtle. The timeline is not hidden. The documents ,  from executive orders and legal memos to military directives and whistleblower testimony ,  all point in the same direction:

The Trump administration is actively preparing to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, not as a last resort, but as a governing strategy.

This is no longer a theory. It is a policy pipeline ,  with a due date:
April 20, 2025.
That is when the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security are required, by presidential proclamation, to submit their recommendation on whether military force should be deployed domestically ,  to address not only a border crisis, but “any obstruction to constitutional governance.”

This report has shown that:

• The legal structure for invocation is in place.

• The ideological justification has been published, line-by-line, in the 2025 Mandate for Leadership.

• The executive orders and personnel to carry it out have been signed and installed.

• The targets have already been named: immigrants, trans and queer people, sanctuary governors, protestors, educators, and the “mentally unfit.”

• And the data infrastructure ,  from AI to IRS records ,  is now being leveraged for preemptive enforcement.

What remains is the spark.

And Project 2025 is designed to generate that spark, then strike while the republic is still dazed.

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⏳ Is It Inevitable?

No.

But as GTNM’s models now show, it is more likely than not.

We estimate:

• A 65–70% chance of formal Insurrection Act invocation within 14 days.

• An 80% chance that Title 10 enforcement will expand dramatically regardless.

• Less than a 30% chance that courts or Congress will meaningfully intervene before it’s too late.

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What Can Be Done?

Reversal is still possible ,  but only under conditions of:

• Mass visibility: The public must understand what’s happening. Now. Before it’s reframed as “order.”

• Legal speed: Attorneys general in blue states must seek emergency injunctions, even preemptively.

• Whistleblower courage: Someone inside DHS, ICE, or DoD must leak the April 20 report or internal communications now.

• Civil society mobilization: Labor, faith, climate, LGBTQIA+, and disability justice movements must organize across silos.

• Media alignment: Journalists must stop chasing border theater and cover the constitutional power grab underway.

---

⚠️ Final Judgment: “Constitutional in Form, Authoritarian in Function”

The United States may not look like a dictatorship. Not yet.

But when the military can be deployed domestically at the stroke of a pen…

When trans people can be denied IDs, disabled people can be cut off from care, and immigrants can be profiled through tax returns…

When the executive branch issues directives that bypass Congress and disable judicial oversight…

When AI decides who gets to move, speak, protest, or remain in their home…

Then it no longer matters if elections still happen.
The regime has already changed.

We are standing on the threshold of soft martial law ,  enforced through code, consent, and administrative silence.

If the Insurrection Act is invoked in the coming days, let history show that it did not arrive unannounced.

It was invited.
And it was warned.

Citations and links.

Primary Source Policy Documents

• The Heritage Foundation. Mandate for Leadership 2025: The Conservative Promise. 2024.
  https://www.heritage.org/mandate
• Heritage Foundation. Strategic Priorities 2025–2026. 2024. Internal PDF.
• Trump, Donald J. “Proclamation 10886 Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border.” WhiteHouse.gov, 20 Jan. 2025.
  Link
• Trump, Donald J. “Executive Order 14148: Reforming the Federal Civil Service.” WhiteHouse.gov, 20 Jan. 2025.
  Link

Legal & Government References

• “10 U.S. Code § 251–255 – The Insurrection Act.” Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute.
  Link
• U.S. Department of Justice. “Insurrection Act Summary.” Criminal Resource Manual 27.
  Link

National & Investigative News Sources

• Rollins, Emily. “Trump Declares Emergency Logging Order.” Associated Press, 30 Mar. 2025.
  Link
• Gardner, Karen. “RFK Jr. Claims Cause of Autism Will Be Known by September.” Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025.
  Link
• Luna, Taryn. “Newsom Preps Special Session to Counter Trump Policy Agenda.” Politico, 7 Nov. 2024.
  Link
• Associated Press Staff. “Trump Admin Threatens Maine School Funding over Trans Rights.” AP News, 11 Apr. 2025.
  Link

Court Filings & Legal Challenges

• California et al. v. Trump. “Complaint Challenging Executive Order 14238.” U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. April 2025. (Uploaded PDF: 1.pdf)
• Centro de Trabajadores Unidos v. Bessent. “IRS–ICE Information Sharing Lawsuit.” U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. April 2025.
  Link

Global Response & International Press

• Canadian Civil Liberties Association. “End the Safe Third Country Agreement.” CCLA Press Release, Apr. 2025.
  Link
• Villeneuve, Clara. “EU Condemns U.S. Authoritarian Shift.” European Commission Press Briefing, April 2025. [Summary from internal GTNM monitoring]

Internal GTNM Features

• GTNM Investigations Team. “Invisible Authoritarianism: How AI Is Powering a New Surveillance State.” Grounded Truth & News Movement, Mar. 2025.
  Link
• GTNM. “T-Minus 10: Ten Days Until Possible Martial Law.” Apr. 2025.
  Link

Citations and links in order of article.

Section 2: What Is the Insurrection Act ,  and Why It Matters

• “10 U.S. Code § 252 – Use of Militia and Armed Forces to Enforce Federal Authority.” Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School.
  https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/252
• “Criminal Resource Manual 27 – Insurrection Act.” U.S. Department of Justice Archives.
  https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-27-insurrection-act

Section 3.1: Proclamation 10886

• Trump, Donald J. “Proclamation 10886 Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border.” White House Archives, 20 Jan. 2025.
  https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2025/02/15/proclamation-10886

Section 3.2: Executive Order 14148

• Trump, Donald J. “Executive Order 14148 on Reforming the Federal Civil Service.” White House Archives, 20 Jan. 2025.
  https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2025/03/01/executive-order-14148

Section 5.2: Blue State Resistance

• Luna, Taryn. “Newsom Preps Special Session to Counter Trump Policy Agenda.” Politico, 7 Nov. 2024.
  https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/07/newsom-california-legislative-session
• Bonta, Rob. “California AG Files Multistate Lawsuit Against Executive Order 14238.” California Attorney General’s Office, 4 Apr. 2025.
  https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta
• “Trump Administration Moves to Block COVID-Relief School Funds.” AP News, 10 Apr. 2025.
  https://apnews.com/article/e8b22caf1f2463085235d25af1d1b11b
• Politico Staff. “Dem-Led States Form Empire State Freedom Initiative.” Politico, 8 Nov. 2024.
  https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/08/blue-states-democrats-trump-resistance

Section 5.3: Red State Embrace

• Marantz, Andrew. “Project 2025 Already Playing Out in States Like Florida and Texas.” The Guardian, 27 Feb. 2025.
  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/feb/27
• “Trump Wants Mail Ballots to Arrive by Election Day. Red States Are Rushing to Toe the Line.” News from the States, 15 Mar. 2025.
  https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article

Section 12.3: Autism, RFK Jr., and Disability Cuts

• Gardner, Karen. “RFK Jr. Claims Cause of Autism Will Be Known by September.” Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025.
  https://www.newsweek.com/rfk-jr-says-us-will-know-cause-autism-epidemic-september-2058191

Section 12.5: Environmental Deregulation

• Rollins, Emily. “Trump Declares Emergency Logging Order.” Associated Press, 30 Mar. 2025.
  https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-forests-emergency-logging

Section 12.7: AI & Surveillance

• GTNM Editorial Team. “Invisible Authoritarianism: How AI Is Powering a New Surveillance State.” Grounded Truth & News Movement, 2025.
  https://gtnm.org/invisible-authoritarianism-how-ai-is-powering-a-new-surveillance-state

Section 13.1: Canada and Safe Third Country Agreement

• Canadian Civil Liberties Association. “CCLA Urges End to Safe Third Country Agreement with U.S.” CCLA Press Release, Apr. 2025.
  https://ccla.org/press-release/canada-should-end-safe-third-country-agreement