FACT CHECK: No, The Military Did Not Arrest Anita Dunn
A video shared on Facebook claims the military arrested Anita Dunn, a former senior adviser to President Joe Biden.
Verdict: False
There is no evidence the U.S. military arrested Anita Dunn. The claim originates from a website that says it posts “humor, parody, and satire.”
Fact Check:
Dunn stepped down from her position as Biden’s senior adviser on Aug. 12, a role that was always intended to be temporary, according to Politico. She announced that she would remain a close confidant of the president, but would be returning to her consulting firm, SKDK, the outlet reported.
Now, a viral video shared on Facebook alleges she was arrested at her home in Bethesda, Maryland, on Nov. 20 by U.S. Marines for her participation in various crimes. The video goes on to claim she worked to “dismantle the U.S. military, defund domestic law enforcement, strengthen the ANTIFA and BLM movements, drive inflation, bankrupt businesses, push vaccination and mask mandates, and embolden foreign adversaries like China.”
Check Your Fact searched press releases from the Marine Corps, as well as the Department of Defense, but found nothing about the military arresting Dunn. Ryan Bruce, a Marine Corps spokesperson, said the claim was false in an email to Check Your Fact. A spokesperson for Dunn likewise denied the validity of the story.
“This story is completely false, and no such events have occurred,” said the spokesperson for Dunn in an email to Check Your Fact. (RELATED: No, The Military Did Not Arrest George W. Bush)
The post appears to have stemmed from a Nov. 23 article published on the website Real Raw News titled, “Military Arrests Biden’s Deep State Handler Anita Dunn.” Real Raw News includes a disclaimer on its website that reads, in part, “This website contains humor, parody, and satire.” The disclaimer has not stopped some social media users from sharing the article’s headline and contents as if they are real reports.
This is not the first time misinformation originating from Real Raw News has gone viral. Check Your Fact has previously debunked claims shared on Facebook that alleged Andrew Cuomo, George W. Bush, and Gavin Newsom were arrested by the military, all stories that first appeared on Real Raw News.