FACT CHECK: Video Showing Military Personnel Is From 2021

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

A video shared on Facebook claims to show one million military personnel to arrest people.

Verdict: Misleading

The video is from January 2021, prior to the inauguration of President Joe Biden. It does not show troops moving to arrest people.

Fact Check:

Social media users have been sharing a video of American troops marching in what appears to be Washington, D.C., claiming it shows them on the way to arrest people. One user wrote, “NOTHING CAN STOP WHAT’S COMING ….OVER 1 MILLION MILITARY ARE NOW ACROSS THE UNITED STATES TO MAKE ARRESTS.”

This is missing important context. First, through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the video is from January 2021 and shows American troops deployed to Washington, D.C., in the aftermath of the Capitol riot and just prior to Biden’s Jan. 20, 2021 inauguration. It was shared by CNN correspondent Manu Raju on X Jan. 19.

“This morning in front of the Capitol,” Raju tweeted. (RELATED: Houthi Rebels Claim To Hit U.S. Warship In Red Sea)

Biden was inaugurated Jan. 20, 2021, with a heavy military presence, according to the Military Times. Thousands of National Guard troops were deployed in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot, the outlet reported.

There is no evidence that one million US troops are going across the nation to make arrests. There are currently a little over two million active duty and “selected reserve” service members in the U.S. military, according to the Department of Defense.

Reuters also debunked this claim.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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