Is it true that the US is facing a 90-day blackout?

Is it true that the US is facing a 90-day blackout?

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Translated from Russian. Original

Rumor: Social media posts claim the US will soon lose power for 90 days, and that Trump announced it himself in a video. The Pentagon's FORTRESS America plan is cited as "proof."

1. Verdict

Fake

No 90-day power outage has been announced or planned in the US. The videos in which Trump seems to announce one were made with AI and promote crypto tokens. The real Pentagon plan, FORTRESS America, aims to let military bases run on their own for up to 90 days if the public grid fails; it does not cut anyone's power.

Moderate: the fact-checker Snopes and several independent news outlets agree that no blackout was announced and the Trump videos are doctored. We can't go higher because we couldn't open the Pentagon order itself or the original videos (the sites block automated access).

2. Claims and facts

  • «Trump announced that the US will lose power for 90 days»False

    He made no such announcement. Snopes (Nov. 10) found the original footage: one clip uses Trump's Nov. 2 remarks at the Lincoln Memorial, where he criticized Democratic candidates ahead of the election; another uses his Nov. 7 comments on Russia, Ukraine and Iran. The lip movements and voice were altered with AI. The White House did not respond to Snopes' request for comment.[1]

  • «A nationwide 90-day blackout will start soon (this month)»False

    No reliable outlet or government agency has reported anything like this. Gray TV stations state plainly that the military program is not an announcement of a blackout, power cuts or an imminent attack.[1][3]

  • «The Pentagon is preparing for 90 days without power — so everyone will be cut off»Distorted

    FORTRESS America was announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sept. 30. Its goal is for military bases and agencies to keep working on their own during a long failure of the public grid: their own small power networks (microgrids), plus water, fuel and communications reserves. The "at least 90 days" figure comes from internal documents seen by Fox News; the documents have not been published. It's insurance for the military, not a plan to cut off the public.[6][7][8][3]

  • «Buy the token and you'll keep power during the blackout (or profit from it)»Nonsense

    The videos promoted the crypto tokens United States Power Reserve (USPR) and United States Asset Reserve (USAR). A crypto token is an entry in a digital ledger; it cannot deliver electricity to your home. The ads rely on fake videos of celebrities.[1][2]

3. Where the rumor came from

  • Pentagon · en

    Secretary Pete Hegseth announces FORTRESS America: five pillars, including energy independence for military bases.[3][7]

  • Pentagon · en

    Under Secretary Michael Duffey signs a directive standing up the program office and naming an interim director. DefenseScoop's report says nothing about 90 days.[8]

  • Fox News · en

    Citing documents, Fox News reports that major bases must sustain themselves for "at least 90 days." From here the 90-day figure spreads through the media.[6]

  • WBBJ / Gray TV · en

    Local TV asks "Is a 90-day blackout coming?": no, it's a military readiness plan. Other stations in the network republished it on Nov. 5.[4][3]

  • Facebook, Instagram · Shythechosen · en

    A clip captioned "Trump confirms no power for 90 days" promotes the USPR token. Other accounts post similar clips, including fake versions of Elon Musk, Taylor Swift and Warren Buffett.[1]

  • WRDW / FOX Carolina · en

    Report from South Carolina: a gun store says sales are up 60–70%, and warehouse stores near Augusta are being cleaned out.[5]

  • Snopes · en

    Snopes rates the Trump clips Fake.[1]

How the text changed

  1. September: "The Pentagon is hardening bases and giving them their own power sources."
  2. → Late October: "Bases must last 90 days off the grid" (per documents seen by Fox News).
  3. → Early November: "They're preparing for a 90-day blackout" — the military plan is read as a warning for everyone.
  4. → Nov. 6–7: "Trump confirmed: no power for 90 days, starting this month" — AI videos, now with crypto token ads.
  5. → Offline: people buy up guns, ammunition and supplies.

4. What the media say

  • SnopesDebunks

    The Trump 90-day blackout videos are AI fakes promoting crypto tokens. There was no announcement and no credible reports of a blackout.[1]

  • WSMV / WBBJ (Gray TV)Debunks

    FORTRESS is about military readiness, not an announcement of a blackout or an attack.[3][4]

  • WRDW / FOX CarolinaContext

    The rumor sparked panic buying of guns and goods in South Carolina; the Pentagon calls the plan internal and says it does not authorize a national blackout.[5]

  • Fox NewsContext

    Per documents: bases must sustain themselves for at least 90 days; the idea is to disconnect bases from the civilian grid when it fails, not to switch the grid off.[6]

  • The War ZoneContext

    In-depth look at the program; the 90-day figure is known only from Fox News' account and does not appear in the quoted parts of the order.[7]

  • DefenseScoopContext

    The directive standing up the program office and its five pillars.[8]

5. Social media

  • Facebook, Instagram · ShythechosenPanic

    AI clip "Trump confirms no power for 90 days" promoting the USPR token. Snopes did not give view counts.[1]

    2026-11-06

  • Facebook · Derrick Speaks, Aug CryptoPanic

    The same fake Trump clips, promoting USAR and other tokens.[1]

    2026-11

6. Signs of manipulation

  • Fake "official" announcement. Trump's voice and lips were altered with AI; the original Nov. 2 speech was about the election (Snopes).
  • Tied to a real event. The real Pentagon plan FORTRESS America, with its 90-day figure, is for military bases.
  • A precise, near date. In the fake clip: "The power will go down this month."
  • Someone profits. The clips promote USPR and USAR crypto tokens as if they would provide power or profit during a blackout.
  • Call to action. Buy the token; offline, people buy up guns and supplies (WRDW).

7. Similar rumors in the past

  • "9-day global blackout"

    Outcome: Debunked by fact-checkers; nothing happened.[9]

  • "Nov. 17: global blackout and internet shut off for 3 months"

    Outcome: We rated it fake: on Nov. 17 the US will only run a one-minute emergency alert test on radio and TV.

  • Britain is preparing a "total blackout" under the "Black Sky" plan

    Outcome: We checked it: an emergency plan is presented as preparation for a shutdown.

In common with past rumors

  • A real preparedness plan is passed off as a warning of imminent disaster
  • A big round number ("90 days") without context
  • Calls to stock up and buy
  • Someone profits — here, from crypto tokens

What is new

  • AI-faked voice and lip movements of the US president
  • Fake celebrities (Musk, Swift, Buffett) repeat the same rumor
  • The rumor has already triggered panic buying of guns and goods in real stores

9. What to do

  • Don't buy crypto tokens "to keep the lights on during a blackout": they provide no electricity, and you can lose your money.
  • Check any video of a politician announcing something frightening against official websites and major media — such clips are easy to fake today.
  • There's no need to buy up guns or goods. A basic few-days supply (water, food, flashlight, medicine) is sensible for any emergency and has nothing to do with this rumor.

10. What we could not verify

  • We could not open Hegseth's Sept. 30 order or the Pentagon press release (the site blocks automated access, error 403); their content is cited via DefenseScoop, The War Zone, Fox News and Gray TV.
  • The "90 days" figure is known only from documents seen by Fox News; the documents have not been published. Snopes separately says it could not verify this requirement.
  • Snopes' own site blocks automated access (error 402); we read its republication on Yahoo News.
  • We did not open the Facebook and Instagram videos themselves (login required); they are described per Snopes. View counts are unknown.
  • The Pentagon's statement that the plan "does not authorize a national blackout" is cited per WRDW, without a link to a specific statement.

11. Sources

  1. Snopes — videos of Trump announcing a 90-day blackout are fake · Reliable · accessed 2026.11.10
  2. Yahoo News — republication of the Snopes fact-check · Reliable · accessed 2026.11.10
  3. WSMV (Gray TV) — Is a 90-day blackout coming? What the military's new readiness initiative means · Ordinary · accessed 2026.11.10
  4. WBBJ — original version of the same article · Ordinary
  5. WRDW — "People are going crazy": inside the 90-day blackout panic · Ordinary · accessed 2026.11.10
  6. Fox News — inside the Pentagon's plan to keep America fighting if global war erupts · Ordinary · accessed 2026.11.10
  7. The War Zone — 90 days, no help: Fortress America's goal · Ordinary · accessed 2026.11.10
  8. DefenseScoop — memo standing up the FORTRESS America program office · Reliable · accessed 2026.11.10
  9. Tempo — "9-day blackout" · Reliable

#blackout#electricity#USA#AI videos#cryptocurrency#stockpiling

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