FACT CHECK: Has The Military Arrested Congress At The White House?

Anna MockJune 13, 2022

A video shared on Facebook claims the U.S. military has arrested members of Congress at the White House.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence to support the claim that the U.S. military has arrested members of Congress. The video provides no source for this information.

Fact Check:

The video shared on Facebook is nearly 30 minutes long and includes a montage of various city skylines. “USA MILITARY AT THE WHITE HOUSE ARRESTING CONGRESS,” reads the video’s title.

The claim is fabricated. The video does not address the source of the rumor or offer any details about the claim, but rather plays audio of British YouTuber Charlie Ward on a podcast talking with others about unrelated topics. The title of the video appears to be unrelated to the audio and footage of the post.

There are no credible news reports about any recent arrests of sitting congressional members at the White House or elsewhere. A public schedule for President Joe Biden, provided by Factba.se, does not show any meeting taking place with Congressional leaders or members at the White House so far this month.

There are no press releases from the U.S. Capitol Police or Department of Defense about any congressional lawmakers being charged with a crime or arrested. No such claim appears on the Department of Justice website either. (RELATED: Do Members Of Congress Receive Full-Pay Retirement Benefits After Serving Just One Term?)

Democratic New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman was arrested in January 2022 after he participated in a voting rights protest at the Capitol, according to CNN. Democratic Texas Reps. Al Green and Sheila Jackson Lee also had similar arrests in 2021, the outlet reported.

This is not the first time false allegations about the arrest of a prominent political figure have spread online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim suggesting former Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann had been arrested for treason.