FACT CHECK: Was General Mark Milley Arrested For Treason?

A post shared on Facebook claims Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been arrested for treason.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence Milley has been arrested for treason. The claim may stem from a website that says it publishes “humor, parody, and satire.”

Fact Check:

Milley has served as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since October 2019, according to the Department of Defense website. He made headlines earlier this month after excerpts from the recently released book “I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump’s Catastrophic Final Year” said Milley was reportedly concerned former President Donald Trump may attempt a coup in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, according to CNN.

A viral July 22 Facebook post baselessly alleges Milley was “forced to retire then arrested,” saying in part, “Milley found himself on the wrong side of politics. He was egotistical and angry with Trump. He was arrested for treason and taken to GITMO.”(RELATED: Has Susan Rice Been Convicted Of Treason?)

Yet, contrary to the post’s claim, the Joint Chiefs of Staff website still lists Milley as the chairman. Had he been “forced to retire” and subsequently “arrested for treason,” major news outlets would have reported it. The Joint Chiefs of Staff has also not mentioned anything to that effect in its media releases, nor has the Department of Justice or Department of Defense announced such a thing.

Milley participated in a news briefing at the Pentagon alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on July 21, a video shared on YouTube by PBS NewsHour shows. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff website, he also had a meeting with Croatian Chief of Defense Adm. Robert Hranj on July 23, a day after the Facebook post made the claim.

The post’s claim may have originated from a May 5 Real Raw News article, titled “Pentagon Coup! Joint Chiefs Overthrown,” that alleges Milley was arrested in mid-April for being a “traitor to America and its people” and taken to Guantanamo Bay. Real Raw News, however, includes a Disclaimer on its “About Us” page that states the website “contains humor, parody, and satire.”

The Joint Chiefs of Staff did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

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