FACT CHECK: Facebook Post Makes False Claim About Coast Guard Officer Michael Platt
A post shared on Facebook claims U.S. Coast Guard officer and Military Advisor to the Department of Homeland Security, Rear Adm. Michael Platt, was purportedly arrested for treason.
Verdict: False
The claim is false and stems from a Feb. 18 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Platt became the Military Advisor to the Department of Homeland Security in 2022, according to the U.S. Coast Guard’s website. He entered the Coast Guard in college, the website also indicates.
The Facebook post claims Platt was purportedly arrested by U.S. Marines in Eagle Pass, Texas, on “charges of treason, sedition, and aiding and abetting the enemy.” The post further claims the Marines were conducting surveillance on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas when they purportedly arrested Platt.
The claim is false and stems from a Feb. 18 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” A “Disclaimer” included on the site’s “About Us” page indicates its content is not meant to be taken literally. “Information on this website is for informational and educational and entertainment purposes. This website contains humor, parody, and satire. We have included this disclaimer for our protection, on the advice on legal counsel,” the disclaimer reads.
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. In fact, the opposite is true. Lead Stories also labeled the claim as false in a Feb. 29 article. Additionally, the claim is neither repeated on the U.S. Coast Guard’s website nor its verified social media accounts.
Furthermore, the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Homeland Security have not publicly commented on the claim, either. (RELATED: Claim Involving The American Red Cross, JAG Is Satirical)
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“This is inaccurate,” the spokesperson said of the claim.
