Did ABC News anchor David Muir "snap" in an on-air tirade against Trump, predicting martial law and no midterm elections? No, that's not true: This story is clickbait. David Muir never said this on-air. The story originated on a clickbait website linked from a Facebook page styled to attract Muir's fans but with no affiliation to the news anchor or ABC News.
The fake story appeared in a post (archived here) published by the Facebook page Clarity Newsline on Jan. 14, 2026. The caption included a link to a website and opened:
"ARE YOU BLIND TO WHAT'S COMING, OR ARE YOU JUST AFRAID TO SAY IT OUT LOUD?" David Muir snapped, his voice cutting through the studio like a blade.The room fell silent. Cameras kept rolling as tension thickened the air. Muir leaned forward, eyes blazing, no longer hiding his fury. "I'm telling you right now," he continued, "this chaos isn't accidental. This pandemonium? It's fuel. It's a setup."read morehttps://dravex.biz/.../david-explosive-onair-breakdown...
This is the image included with the post on Facebook:
(Image Source: Lead Stories screenshot from facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122150949704851866&set=a.122095629560851866.)
The url linked in the Facebook post points to dravex.biz, but that redirects to another website newsdaily.feji.io (archived here). The article does not include a link to video footage of the purported outburst or any verifiable details about when or where it happened.
The caption of the Facebook post concludes:
A panelist tried to interrupt, but Muir raised his hand sharply. "No--listen. When streets burn and institutions crack, that's when dangerous men make their move. Trump doesn't fear disorder. He needs it."He paused, letting the words sink in. "Martial law. Emergency powers. Suspended norms. And suddenly--no midterms."Someone whispered, "That's extreme."Muir fired back instantly. "So is canceling democracy to save yourself from prison. You think a man staring down impeachment and handcuffs is going to play fair?"The camera zoomed closer. "Watch him," Muir warned, his tone dark and urgent. "He's not trying to win an election. He's trying to erase it. And if people keep pretending this is impossible, they'll wake up one day with soldiers in the streets and no ballot in sight."The silence afterward was louder than any argument.
A Google search for the phrase quoted in the article, "Are you blind to what's coming, or are you just afraid to say it out loud" did not return any real news reports about a Muir outburst, only duplicate copies of the false claim spreading on social media. Another Google search for the keywords "martial law" and "David Muir" found several fact checks on the false claim as well as more duplicate copies of the fake post.
Other fact checks
This claim was also investigated by Snopes.com.
