An August 15 Instagram post (direct link, file link) shows a TikTok video of a speech about covert military operations with a screenshot of a Real Raw News story in the background.
“On Monday, U. S. Marines captured Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and killed his two bodyguards in an military-sanctioned operation to stop the evil clot-maker after he returned to the United States,” the story begins.
It gained over 400 likes in less than a day. The original Real Raw News story published on Aug. 9 was shared on Facebook more than 400 times before being removed, according to CrowdTangle, a social media analytics tool.
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A Pfizer spokesman said the claim was false and that Bourla was posting on social media on the day of his alleged arrest and a week later. The online page where he made the impression publishes false statements about the pandemic and the arrests of prominent figures.
In an email from a note to USA TODAY, a Pfizer spokesperson claims it’s false.
On the day of his alleged arrest, Bourla posted a photo of himself with a summer intern on social media. He also posted another message a week later.
There is no evidence that the Marines captured Bourla or that his bodyguards were killed. No reputable news outlet reported on the alleged arrest, and the incident was not discussed anywhere on the U. S. Marine Corps online page. UU. ni on their social media accounts.
USA TODAY reached out to the Marines for comment but did not get a response.
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The story in question quotes an unidentified user in the office of Gen. Eric Smith, the acting commander of the Marine Corps, as saying that Bourla’s arrest took place in early August. of doors to a mansion in Newport Beach, California, after snipers shot and killed his bodyguards.
The story also claims that prior to his arrest, Bourla had been seen in the United States since November 2022.
But Bourla posted a photo on X, formerly Twitter, on July 21, in which he appeared visiting the Pfizer facility in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, broken two days earlier by a tornado.
Real Raw News is a serial disinformation broadcaster that publishes made-up “white hat” stories that seek to undermine the “deep state” by arresting government officials and other figures who have become newsworthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A disclaimer on Real Raw News’ “About Us” page states that it “contains humor, parody, and satire. “But this review is included in the individual stories on the website.
USA TODAY has already debunked made-up stories about COVID-19 through Real Raw News, false claims that thousands of doctors have been charged with pandemic-related crimes and that Russia has destroyed all of its COVID-19 vaccines.
USA TODAY reached out to Real Raw News for comment but did not get a response.
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