FACT CHECK: Did An Army Lieutenant Colonel Resign Over Trump’s Treasury Nominee?
A post shared on X claims an Army Lieutenant Colonel purportedly resigned over President-elect Donald Trump’s Treasury Secretary nominee, Scott Bessent.
https://t.co/OgVa7MxPNm
White Hat Council Member Resigns Over Trump Nominee
By
Michael Baxter
Nov 25, 24A White Hat council member has resigned his commission in protest of President Donald J. Trump nominating a “Soros stooge” to lead the United States Treasury Department, pic.twitter.com/oY21zSQ7Bz
— ✊️🇺🇲Jeffrey Aalvik✝️🩸 (@AalvikJeffrey) November 25, 2024
Verdict: False
The claim is false and originally stems from a Nov. 25 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.”
Fact Check:
Trump announced he’d nominated Bessent to be his Treasury Department Secretary on Nov. 22, according to CNBC. Bessent, 62, is the founder of the hedge fund Key Square Group, the outlet reported.
The X post claims an Army Lieutenant Colonel purportedly resigned over Trump’s Treasury Department nominee, Bessent.
“White Hat Council Member Resigns Over Trump Nominee,” the post claims. The post includes a screenshot of an article that repeats the claim.
The claim is false and originally stems from a Nov. 25 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 [of] legal counsel,” the disclaimer reads. (RELATED: Did Donald Trump Appoint Karl Malone As Director Of Child Protective Services?)
According to the Nov. 25 article, the unnamed Army Lieutenant Colonel “erupted with pent-up rage” during a recent council meeting at Camp Pendleton after Trump announced Bessent as his Treasury Department nominee. The unnamed Army Lieutenant Colonel purportedly claimed that Bessent, a former Democratic donor and employee of George Soros, is a “Trojan Horse” who will sabotage Trump, the same article indicated.
Check Your Fact did not find the claim referenced on the U.S. Army’s website or its verified social media accounts. Trump also does not appear to have publicly commented on the claim. In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim.
Check Your Fact has contacted the U.S. Army for comment.