A screenshot of a headline shared on Facebook claims Ret. U.S. Army Gen. H.R. McMaster was purportedly arrested for aiding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in an alleged “Deep State” takeover of the state of North Carolina.
Screenshot captured via Facebook
Verdict: False
The claim is false and originally stems from an Oct. 17 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” A FEMA spokesperson denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
During a Sept. 30 appearance on the CBS News program, “Face the Nation,” McMaster said he “[doesn’t] really buy” the idea that former President Donald Trump could end the Russia-Ukraine war if re-elected, according to the Guardian. McMaster’s comments following a meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the outlet reported.
The Facebook image claims McMaster was purportedly arrested for aiding FEMA in an alleged “Deep State” takeover of North Carolina. “White Hats Arrest US Army General H.R. McMaster, Retd., for Aiding FEMA in Deep State’s ‘Eminant [sic] Domain’ Takeover of North Carolina,” the headline reads.
The claim is false and originally stems from an Oct. 17 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” A “Disclaimer” included on the site’s “About Us” page indicates its content is not meant to be taken literally. “Information on this website is for informational and educational and entertainment purposes. This website contains humor, parody, and satire. We have included this disclaimer for our protection, on the advice [of] legal counsel,” the disclaimer reads.
According to the Oct. 17 article, McMaster was purportedly arrested by U.S. Military “White Hats” on charges of “aiding and abetting the enemy and treason alleging he had been advising [FEMA] on how to defeat the Union forces (White and Red Hats) who’ve been struggling to expel FEMA from storm-ravaged North Carolina and Florida.”
The same article also claims McMaster allegedly fled the scene of a gunfight between FEMA and U.S. Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agents in South Carolina, which “FEMA had seized to stop the flow of relief supplies being flown by citizen pilots to neighboring North Carolina.” (RELATED: Did FEMA Hire Illegal Immigrants For Hurricane Relief Efforts?)
Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the claim referenced on FEMA’s website or its verified social media accounts. In addition, neither the U.S. Army nor McMaster has publicly commented on the claim.
Check Your Fact also found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Oct. 24, PolitiFact debunked the claim, indicating it originated on the satire site.
Furthermore, a FEMA spokesperson denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“These claims are absolutely false. FEMA is not working with Gen. McMaster and there is no eminent domain takeover of North Carolina or any state. Misinformation like this endangers the communities that need help and discourages people from seeking assistance when they need it most,” the same spokesperson said.
Check Your Fact has also contacted the U.S. Army for comment.