FACT CHECK: Did the White House recently remove a social media photo of covert Delta Force teams?
A viral post on social media claimed that a photo of covert U.S. Delta Force teams operating in Israel was posted and then deleted by the White House on its Instagram account. This information stirred significant attention and controversy. However, the allegation is false. According to reports, the White House initially uploaded the image in October 2023 but removed it after it was discovered that the faces of the personnel were not adequately obscured. Consequently, their identities were potentially exposed. The controversy arose amidst protests near the White House against President Biden’s management of the Israel-Hamas conflict, indicating heightened sensitivities around U.S. military operations in the region. This scenario highlights the critical issues of misinformation and the importance of accurate representation in media.
A viral post shared on X claims the White House recently posted a photo on its verified Instagram account showing covert U.S. Delta Force teams and then deleted it.
The White House deleted this photo of covert Delta Force teams operating inside Israel ONE hour after posting it
The US is at “WAR” in Palestine pic.twitter.com/CCqUDH0Jca
— Khalissee (@Kahlissee) June 9, 2024
Verdict: False
The claim is false. The White House made the Instagram post in October 2023, then deleted it after failing to obscure the troops’ faces in the photo, according to Fox News.
Fact Check:
Thousands of people protested near the White House on June 8 in opposition to Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, according to NBC News. The protestors also set up an encampment “in the Ellipse, the 52-acre park directly south of the White House,” the outlet reported.
“The White House deleted this photo of covert Delta Force teams operating inside Israel ONE hour after posting it,” the X post, which has received over 600,000 views as of writing, reads. “The US is at ‘WAR’ in Palestine,” it continues.
The post features a screenshot of an Instagram post shared to the White House’s verified account. In the screenshot of the Instagram post, President Joe Biden can be seen shaking hands with members of the U.S. Delta Force.
The claim is false, however. The White House made the Instagram post in October 2023, then deleted it after failing to obscure the troops’ faces in the photo, according to Fox News. According to the outlet, the image showed Biden meeting with the troops in Israel.
In addition, a White House spokesperson confirmed the mistake in a statement to the network’s Peter Doocy.
“As soon as this was brought to our attention, we immediately deleted the photo,” the spokesperson said, according to the outlet. “We regret the error and any issues this may have caused,” the same spokesperson added.
Fox News National Correspondent Bill Melugin shared the White House’s statement via his verified X account, writing, “NEW: The White House admits they accidentally doxxed US Special Forces by posting an uncensored photo of them [with] Biden in Israel.”
NEW: The White House admits they accidentally doxxed US Special Forces by posting an uncensored photo of them w/ Biden in Israel.
WH: “As soon as this was brought to our attention, we immediately deleted the photo. We regret the error and any issues this may have caused.”
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 19, 2023
“This was the now deleted Instagram post from the White House, which was posted uncensored. @samosaur added the black squares in his post calling out this major OpSec blunder,” Melugin said in a second X post which showed the since-deleted photo.
Check Your Fact has contacted the White House for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
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