The U.S. military arrested former coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx on May 26, 2021, after she allegedly conspired with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to 'deceive the American public into believing that face masks were an effective method to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.
Snopes is still fighting an 'infodemic' of rumors and misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and you can help. Find out what we've learned and how to inoculate yourself against COVID-19 misinformation. Read the latest fact checks about the vaccines. Submit any questionable rumors and 'advice' you encounter. Become a Founding Member to help us hire more fact-checkers. And, please, follow the CDC or WHO for guidance on protecting your community from the disease. More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, conspiracy theories surrounding the response continued to spread despite all evidence to the contrary. A media organization Real Raw News, which previously published similar false reports, claimed that on May 26, 2021, the U.S. military arrested Dr. Deborah Birx, the former coronavirus response coordinator under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. The rumor spread as Birx was featured in a CNN documentary, in which she is quoted saying that she received a 'very uncomfortable' and 'very difficult' phone call from Trump after speaking publicly about the spread of COVID-19. Real Raw News claimed that Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci had 'conspired with the CDC to deceive the American public into believing that face masks were an effective method to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.' The article added: On 26 May, plain-clothed JAG investigators arrived at the multigenerational Pennsylvania home where Birx resides with her husband and the family of their eldest daughter. JAG, our source said, informed Birx she was being placed under arrest by order of the United States military and in accordance with Section 252 of the U.S. Insurrection Act of 1807. Birx reportedly appeared confused, and her husband, a lawyer, protested the 'unlawful intrusion' of their home, saying that neither JAG nor Donald Trump had authority over the citizenry. None of this actually took place. Details about Birx's interview were reported by CNN on May 28, just days after her supposed 'arrest.' Had Birx actually been arrested, the CNN story would likely have been very different. There is also no evidence that Birx has broken any laws in her commentary on face masks because health experts agree that face masks have proven to be effective in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus. And if that weren't enough to debunk this rumor, readers might be interested to know that Real Raw News carries this disclaimer on the 'About Us' page of its website: '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 on legal counsel.' We rate this claim as 'False.' 
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