FACT CHECK: No, The Military Did Not Arrest George W. Bush

Trevor Schakohl | Legal Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims former President George W. Bush was arrested by the military.

Facebook/Screenshot

Verdict: False

There is no record of armed forces arresting George W. Bush. The claim originates from a website that says it posts “humor, parody, and satire.”

Fact Check:

George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush participated in the opening coin flip before the Dallas Cowboys’ Nov. 7 football game against the Denver Broncos at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. He served as the state’s governor prior to his presidency, according to the White House.

Now, a Nov. 15 Facebook post claims George W. Bush was arrested by the military. This, however, is not true. (RELATED: Image Claims To Show George W. Bush’s Daughter Wearing A Hijab)

Contrary to the claim, neither the Defense Department nor the Justice Department have issued a press release reporting that the former president has been arrested or charged with an offense. The George W. Bush Presidential Center has not mentioned any such action in news statements or social media posts. The George W. Bush Presidential Center has sent several tweets since the Facebook post surfaced.

George W. Bush’s Facebook and Instagram accounts shared content on Nov. 17, two days after the Facebook post was shared, that the center also posted on those platforms earlier in the day. If he had been arrested by the military, national news outlets certainly would have reported on it, yet none have.

The post appears to stem from a Nov. 15 article published on the website Real Raw News bearing the headline: “Military Arrests Former President George W. Bush.” Real Raw News includes a disclaimer on its website that reads in part, “This website contains humor, parody, and satire.”

Despite the disclaimer on Real Raw News, some social media users shared the headline, seemingly believing the website’s article was factual. This is not the first time misinformation has stemmed from Real Raw News. Check Your Fact previously corrected the baseless claim stemming from the website that George W. Bush’s late Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld killed himself at a military tribunal.

Trevor Schakohl

Legal Reporter
Follow Trevor on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/tschakohl

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