FACT CHECK: Was David Axelrod Arrested By The Military?

Trevor Schakohl | Legal Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims David Axelrod, a former top aide to former President Barack Obama, was arrested by the U.S. military.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence that Axelrod has been arrested by U.S. forces. The rumor stems from a website that features “humor, parody, and satire.”

Fact Check:

The Facebook post claims Axelrod, who currently serves as the director of the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics and is a senior political commentator for CNN, was arrested April 15 by the U.S. military. It cites “a confidential source” in the Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps as the source of the information and claims U.S. Marines captured Axelrod as he was leaving Chicago to visit a friend in Whiting, Indiana.

The report is incorrect. Neither the Navy JAG Corps nor the Defense Department has issued a press release or social media post that mentions Axelrod being arrested. The former presidential advisor has tweeted from his verified Twitter account many times since April 15 and none of his tweets allude to his alleged arrest. There are likewise no credible news reports suggesting the military arrested Axelrod.

The text featured in the Facebook post originated from an April 16 article on the website Real Raw News. The website includes a disclaimer stating, “This website contains humor, parody, and satire.”(RELATED: Did The Russian Government Announce A Warrant For George Soros’ Arrest?)

Check Your Fact previously corrected false rumors stemming from the website, including one that alleged former President Bill Clinton was murdered and another that claimed a military tribunal had convicted White House Domestic Policy Council Director Susan Rice of treason.

Trevor Schakohl

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

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