No, dozens of military tribunals aren’t underway

In the wake of the Jan. 6 riot, we fact-checked a claim that military tribunals started at the Capitol on the day President Joe Biden was inaugurated. That’s wrong, and a similar claim that’s now being shared on social media about dozens of ongoing military tribunals also lacks evidence.  

In an audio recording that plays over more than 13 minutes, the claims range from the possibility that 18 American governors have been arrested or executed to testimony from a Chinese Communist Party defector at "over 40 tribunals." There are multiple references to a "cabal" and other language used in the QAnon conspiracy theory. 

A post sharing this recording was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

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stated on March 21, 2024 in an Instagram post

Video shows legislators “dancing in Congress” while the border is “overrun.”

Since Donald Trump lost the presidential election, unfounded allegations about people cast as his enemies have appeared online. Among the statements we’ve fact-checked and found false: that the U.S .military was at the White House arresting Congress, that former Ambassador Susan Rice was the subject of a military tribunal and California Gov. Gavin Newsom had been indicted, and that the military had arrested Deborah Birx, the coronavirus response coordinator under Trump. 

All of these are unfounded, as is the claim that there are more than 40 military tribunals now underway. We couldn’t find any evidence to support this. 

We rate it False.