FACT CHECK: No, The Military Did Not Arrest Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough

Trevor SchakohlJuly 15, 2022

A post shared on Facebook claims military personnel arrested Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence to suggest McDonough has been arrested. This rumor stems from a website that publishes “humor, parody, and satire.”

Fact Check:

The image shows what appears to be a screen grab of a news article with a headline that reads, “Special Forces Arrest Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough.” The post’s caption claims the arrest was made at a Las Vegas hotel in the early morning of July 10 and alleges the secretary is being investigated for “treason, embezzlement, theft and dereliction of duty.”

In reality, there is no mention of his alleged arrest on either the Defense Department’s website or the Justice Department’s website. There is likewise no mention of such an arrest in either department’s verified social media posts. Check Your Fact could not find a single credible news report about the purported development.

On July 11, a day after the alleged arrest, McDonough and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge announced $10.4 million in potential funding for renovating low-income and disabled veterans’ homes under the Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot Program. McDonough’s verified Twitter account also remains active.

An internet search reveals the claim stems from the website Real Raw News, which published the headline as part of a July 13 article. The website’s “About Us” page clarifies that the site is satirical and “contains humor, parody, and satire.” (RELATED: Viral Image Claims Joe Biden Ordered The Department Of Veterans Affairs To Withhold Unvaccinated Veterans’ Health Benefits)

Check Your Fact previously corrected false rumors stemming from the website claiming that former Secretary of State Colin Powell died by suicide and that a military panel sentenced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to death.