Fact check: Article falsely claims Speaker Nancy Pelosi was arrested for treason

The claim: Nancy Pelosi was arrested and charged with treason and seditious conspiracy

On Dec. 1, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attended a state dinner at the White House that honored French President Emmanuel Macron.

A Dec. 3 story by Real Raw News spreading on social media claims that Pelosi was arrested by U.S. special forces after the event and charged with treason and seditious conspiracy.

"The United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps on Friday filed formal charges against former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was arrested Thursday night after attending Biden’s lavish State banquet at Tyler Perry’s White House facsimile in the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia," the article began.

The article, which also claims Pelosi was taken to Guantanamo Bay, was shared more than 200 times in six days, according to the social media insights tool CrowdTangle.

A Dec. 4 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) , which includes the text of the Real Raw News article, was shared more than 300 times in four days.

But the claim is bogus.

Real Raw News is a website that publishes fabricated stories, many of which USA TODAY has debunked. There are no legitimate reports of Pelosi being arrested. She has made multiple public appearances since the supposed arrest and detainment.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the claim for comment.

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No credible reports of Pelosi being arrested

There is no evidence that Pelosi was arrested, charged or detained by the NAVY JAG Corps, which runs the Navy's legal services.

Pelosi has made multiple public appearances since the state dinner.

On Dec. 4, she attended the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington with her husband, Paul, who was hospitalized in October after being attacked at the couple’s San Francisco home. They received a standing ovation from the crowd.

On Dec. 6, Pelosi took part in a ceremony awarding Congressional Gold Medals to police who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection. She spoke during the event and was photographed with recipients.

On Dec. 8, Pelosi spoke on the House floor and held her weekly news conference.

USA TODAY has previously debunked fabricated stories published by Real Raw News, including baseless claims that U.S. Cyber Command found election fraud and President Joe Biden employed crisis actors to portray Marines. A disclaimer found on the site’s “About Us” page states it “contains humor, parody and satire.” The notice, however, is not included in the website’s articles.

The claim has also been debunked by AFP, Check Your Fact and Lead Stories.

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that Pelosi was arrested and charged with treason and seditious conspiracy. There are no credible reports that Pelosi was arrested, charged or detained, and she has made multiple public appearances since the purported arrest. The claim originates from Real Raw News, a website that published fabricated stories.

Our fact-check sources:

• USA TODAY, Dec. 5, Paul Pelosi attends Kennedy Center Honors in first public appearance since being attacked

• USA TODAY, Dec. 1, Pomp, pageantry, and fraternité: Memorable moments from Macron’s state visit with the Bidens

• USA TODAY, Nov. 17, Speaker Nancy Pelosi steps down after 20 years leading House Democrats

• Washington Post, Dec. 6, Congress awards gold medals to police who defended Capitol on Jan. 6

• C-SPAN, Dec. 6, Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony for January 6 Police

• U.S. Navy JAG Corps, accessed Dec. 7, News

• Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Dec. 8, Transcript of Pelosi Remarks at Weekly Press Conference

• Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Dec. 8, Transcript of Pelosi Floor Speech on the National Defense Authorization Act

• Check Your Fact, Dec. 7, FACT CHECK: Did Navy JAG Corps charge Nancy Pelosi with treason and seditious conspiracy?

• AFP, Dec. 8, US Navy quashes Nancy Pelosi arrest rumor

• Lead Stories, Dec. 6, Fact Check: U.S. Special Forces Did NOT Detain Nancy Pelosi On Charges Of Treason, Conspiracy

• Real Raw News archived via Wayback Machine, Nov. 9, About Us

• USA TODAY, Nov. 30, Fact check: Cyber Command focuses on foreign threats, not domestic

• USA TODAY, Sept. 15, Fact check: False claim that Biden employed crisis actors to portray Marines during Sept. 1 speech

• USA TODAY, Nov. 10, 2021, Fact check: Navy debunks article about cargo ship 'full of smuggled children

• USA TODAY, Aug. 18, Fact check: False claim that Marine Corps head is defying vaccine mandate

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Article falsely claims Speaker Nancy Pelosi was arrested