On July 30, 2025, Donald Trump reposted a controversial message on Truth Social that’s already sending shockwaves through political and media circles.
The post, originally shared by a user named “Extremely Stable Genius,” features a black-and-white image of Abraham Lincoln along with a caption comparing modern-day sanctuary city mayors to Southern governors who rebelled during the Civil War. It goes further, suggesting that President Trump should “declare martial law,” arrest mayors, appoint military governors, and restore the rule of law—just like Lincoln did.”
Trump reshared the post without adding a caption of his own, but the endorsement of the message by reposting it is being viewed by many as a serious escalation in rhetoric against cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
Critics are raising alarms over the use of Civil War-era imagery and calls for military-style governance, especially during a politically sensitive time. The repost, dated at 7:01 AM on July 30, has already garnered thousands of likes and retweets (or “reTruths”) on the platform.
The original meme has circulated before online, credited to Dixon Diaz in 2017, but resurfaced this week with renewed relevance in the context of the 2026 election cycle.
