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Fact check: Story of Marine Corps leader rebuking Pelosi is fabricated

The claim: Top Marine Corps official told Pelosi, 'We don't work for you!'

A claim that the top official of the U.S. Marine Corps rebuked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over security for the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris was floated in a Jan. 13 article by far-right news blog Real Raw News.

An anonymous source from the Pentagon allegedly told the outlet that Pelosi contacted Gen. David H. Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps since 2019, on Jan. 11 to request 5,000 troops. The House speaker wanted to prevent a repeat of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

"Pelosi said she wanted 'battle ready' reinforcements because 'radicalized Trump supporters and kooky Qanon conspiracy people' were about to converge on D.C.," according to a statement from the article, with the headline "Marine Corps. Rebukes Pelosi: 'WE DON’T WORK FOR YOU!'"

Berger was said to have "admonished" Pelosi.

"I answer only to the president, and as I understand it, Donald J. Trump is still president and commander-in-chief. I abide in the Constitution as it was written, not your interpretation of it,” Berger said, according to Real Raw News.

The outlet is an "award-winning independent publisher" that focuses on politics, war, conspiracy and associated genres, according to its website. Real Raw News exhibits a far-right bias in its reporting and publishes fake news and propaganda, per media accountability website, Media Bias/Fact Check.

Michael Baxter of Real Raw News offered no additional information in response to a request for comment from USA TODAY.

'A complete fabrication'

According to Real Raw News, Berger eschewed Pelosi's request for Marine Corps troops in part because more than 15,000 National Guard troops from several states and an "undisclosed number" of agents from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security were deployed to D.C. during the week of Jan. 20.

Capt. Joseph Butterfield, a public affairs officer for the Marine Corps, told USA TODAY that the claims made in the piece are false.

"There is no truth to the claims made in the article. It is a complete fabrication," he said.

Ahead of the inauguration, Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted all branches of the U.S. military are obligated to obey lawful orders from civilian leadership, in a Jan. 12 message from the Joint Chiefs on the U.S. Capitol Riot.

"As we have done throughout our history, the U.S. military will obey lawful orders from civilian leadership, support civil authorities to protect lives and property, ensure public safety in accordance with the law, and remain fully committed to protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic," Milley wrote.

The chairman also reaffirmed Biden's then-upcoming inauguration.

"On January 20, 2021, in accordance with the Constitution, confirmed by the states and the courts, and certified by Congress, President-elect Biden will be inaugurated and will become our 46th Commander in Chief," he wrote.

USA TODAY reached out to Pelosi's office for comment.

Our ruling: False

We rate this claim FALSE, based on our research. There is no evidence to support a claim stating Gen. David H. Berger, commandant of the Marines, rebuked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over a security request for the inauguration. A Marine Corps public affairs officer told USA TODAY that the claim is fabricated.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Marines say story of general rebuking Nancy Pelosi is fake