Fact check: False claim that US Special Forces arrested Dr. Anthony Fauci

The claim: US Special Forces arrested Dr. Anthony Fauci 

Dr. Anthony Fauci has been the face of America’s COVID-19 response throughout the pandemic, but an array of social media users recently claimed he is now behind bars.

The narrative originated April 10 with a story from Real Raw News, which has a history of publishing fabricated reporting. The story was shared nearly 2,000 times on Facebook within 10 days, and other users reiterated the claim with standalone Facebook posts as well.

Real Raw News claimed Fauci’s car was followed by Special Forces in civilian vehicles who “drew weapons and ordered Fauci’s guards to toss their firearms out the window.” The claim goes on to say the soldiers “dragged Fauci from the vehicle, subdued him and carted him off for processing.”

But Fauci has not been arrested. He conducted multiple media interviews after Real Raw news claimed he had been arrested.

USA TODAY reached out to users who shared the claim for comment. 

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Fauci made public appearances on live TV

Special Forces did not arrest Fauci on April 9 as claimed.

For one, Fauci has made multiple live media appearances since that date. He was seen in an April 10 ABC News interview and an April 11 appearance on MSNBC. Other news organizations such as The Hill and The New York Times reported Fauci’s remarks.

No legitimate news outlets or government entities reported an arrest of Fauci.

In addition, an arrest such as this would not involve U.S. Special Forces. Special Forces are not permitted to make citizen arrests under the Posse Comitatus Act. The Act prohibits “the willful use of any part of the Army or Air Force to execute the law unless expressly authorized by the Constitution or an act of Congress.” 

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USA TODAY has previously debunked claims that Fauci was arrested.

Real Raw News has previously published false claims 

Real Raw News has a history of publishing satire and made-up news reports, many of which have involved military arrests and executions of public figures. Those hoaxes play into the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory. However, QAnon’s predictions haven’t come true, and its claims have been repeatedly debunked.

The website includes a disclaimer that warns readers not to take its content too seriously: “information on this website is for informational and educational and entertainment purposes. This website contains humor, parody, and satire.” However, the outlet’s stories are not directly labeled as satire and are presented as factual assertions, and as a result are widely believed by social media users.

“Long long overdue! Arrest the others now! O bummer can be next!” read a comment on one post reporting Fauci’s supposed arrest.

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But, Michael Baxter, who is identified as a contributor for the site, has defended the accuracy of various articles in the comments sections.

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that Dr. Anthony Fauci was arrested by U.S. Special Forces. Fauci made several live media appearances in the days after Real Raw News published the claim. There is no evidence Fauci has been arrested. 

Our fact-check sources: 

• ABC News, April 10, Fauci advises assessing personal risk amid COVID-19 uptick
• NBC, April 11, Transcript: The ReidOut, 4/11/22
• The Hill, April 10, Fauci says it’s up to individuals to determine COVID-19 risks at events
• The New York Times, April 10, An uptick in U.S. virus cases is concerning but not surprising, Fauci says.
• PolitiFact, April 12, No, Dr. Anthony Fauci was not arrested 
• Check Your Fact, April 14, FACT CHECK: WAS ANTHONY FAUCI ARRESTED IN APRIL 2022?
• Check Your Fact, June 25, 2021, FACT CHECK: HAS ANTHONY FAUCI BEEN ARRESTED BY NAVY SEALS?
• PolitiFact, Sept. 27, 2021, A look behind Real Raw News’ sensational (and fabricated) headlines
• Brennan Center for Justice, Oct. 14, 2021, The Posse Comitatus Act Explained
• USA TODAY, Sept. 22, 2020, Fact check: False claim that Dr. Anthony Fauci arrested uses doctored and out of context photos
• USA TODAY, Sept. 2, 2021, Fact check: False claim that military arrested Hunter Biden
• USA TODAY, Aug. 4, 2021, QAnon followers distance themselves from the movement’s most bizarre conspiracy theories as they rebrand
• USA TODAY, Sept. 17, 2020, Debunked QAnon conspiracy theories are seeping into mainstream social media. Don’t be fooled.
• Real Raw News, accessed April 26, About Us
• USA TODAY, April 20, Fact check: False claim that Putin rescued 35,000 imprisoned Ukrainian children

Contributing: Daniel Funke

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Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.