KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — Many across the nation are wondering if the National Guard is coming to declare Martial Law after a rumor circulated around social media. This is not true.
The fake message reads something like this:
“Here’s what my friend texted me. (His dad works for homeland security). He said that they are preparing to mobilize the national guard. Preparing to dispatch them across the US along with military.”
The message goes on to say that there will be a national quarantine and people need to stock up on supplies.
“He said they are preparing to announce a nationwide 1 week quarantine for all citizens All (sic) businesses closed. Everyone at home.”
The message began to circulate on Facebook, but has since spread to other social platforms.
It has even captured the attention of prominent government officials such as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, who sought to dispute the rumor.
The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department has also been getting calls about this and is also trying to calm the public’s fears.
Now, let’s get to what is true and what the National Guard is doing to help.
The National Guard has been called in to several states to help with food distribution in some areas, mainly in New York. They are also assisting with COVID-19 testing, according to a press release on the National Guard’s website.
Gen. Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau, laid out the National Guard’s response on Twitter.
As for the Stafford Act, President Donald Trump already used it to declare a national emergency on March 13, which paves the way for $40 billion in FEMA money that can be used to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
RELATED: Here’s what Trump’s national emergency means and how it affects metro health officials
Trump also said Friday he doesn’t plan on imposing any kind of nationwide stay-at-home order like a few states have done.
