A post shared on X claims U.S. Marines recently torched a self-storage unit in Atlanta containing thousands of fraudulent mail-in ballots.
Verdict: False
The claim is false and originally stems from a Sept. 3 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.”
Fact Check:
A new ABC News/Ipsos poll found that 2024 Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris has a four-point lead over former President Donald Trump, Ipsos indicated. The poll was conducted after the Democratic National Convention (DNC), the outlet reported.
The X post claims U.S. Marines recently torched a self-storage unit in Atlanta containing thousands of fraudulent mail-in ballots.
“United States Marines on Sunday torched an Atlanta self-storage unit that held dozens of cardboard boxes filled with thousands of fraudulent mail-in ballots, all addressed to dead people and pre-filled to vote for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election,” the post, which does not provide a source to support its claim, reads.
The claim is false and originally stems from a Sept. 3 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.
The September 3 article claims U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Eric M. Smith was tipped off about the ballots’ existence from “a reliable 5th columnist.” “The Columnist knew the facility’s location but not where the ballots had been printed, or by whom. He said they were addressed to people who died in or before 2024 and that the Deep State would retrieve them and scan them once early voting begins on October 7,” the article reads.
In addition, the purported leaseholder of the facility where the ballots were located is Becca Siegel, senior adviser to Harris’ campaign, the article further claims. (RELATED: No, C-SPAN Did Not Broadcast JD Vance Speech With ‘Single Person Clapping’ Subtitle)
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. The U.S. Marine Corps also has not issued a press release via its website or a statement via its verified social media accounts commenting on the claim. Harris has not publicly responded to the claim, either.
Check Your Fact has contacted the U.S. Marine Corps for comment.