Marines in viral photo were at veteran suicide fundraiser, not Trump event | Fact check
The claim: Marines broke DOD rule by attending Trump fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago
An April 13 Facebook post (, ) shared by liberal commentator Brian Tyler Cohen shows four uniformed soldiers standing between Ivanka Trump and two other women.
"Uniformed Marines at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago fundraiser last night," reads the post's caption. "This is a violation of DoD Directive 1344.10."
The post garnered more than 600 shares in three days. Other versions of the claim were shared on , and .
also claimed the men in the photo were impersonating Marines.
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Our rating: False
The Marines attended a fundraising event for a nonpartisan veteran suicide prevention group. Former President Donald Trump is not affiliated with the nonprofit and did not attend the Mar-a-Lago event.
Event hosted by nonpartisan charity, not Trump
referenced in Cohen's post prohibits active duty members from engaging in any "partisan political activity." Servicemen are permitted to attend partisan events as spectators but must be out of uniform to avoid the implication that such events are officially sponsored, approved or endorsed by the Department of Defense, it says.
The Marines that the Mar-a-Lago event was not a political event, however:
"On April 11, 2024, a (Marine Corps Reserve) unit, 4th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, supported a nonpolitical event hosted by a civic organization at the Mar-a-Lago Club by providing a color guard and static display. The civic organization, Grey Team, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Boca Raton and they submitted an official request for military support to a community event. The request was reviewed by Marine Forces Reserve Community Relations and deemed eligible for support. The event was open to the public and helped raise awareness about military and veteran suicides. The event was neither a political fundraiser, nor was the 45th President of the United States in attendance."
Fact check: Trump visited US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan while president
, board president and founder of , told USA TODAY the organization has no affiliation with Trump. He said the nonprofit is neither Republican nor Democratic and cannot donate to any political campaigns .
Reichbach said the nonprofit helps active and veteran servicemembers with suicide prevention regardless of their age, military branch or political leaning and chooses venues based on their support of the military. He said the same servicemen attended hosted by the organization the week before at the Boca Raton Resort, which is owned by a company . Dell to both Democratic and Republican political candidates, according to the nonpartisan research group Open Secrets.
Trump is not on the nonprofit's website, and none of make any mention of the former president.
It's not unusual for nonpartisan events to be hosted at Mar-a-Lago, despite it being owned by Trump, as for weddings, galas and private parties, according to its website. Many other charities have held fundraising galas at the country club in the past, such as and Salvation Army.
USA TODAY reached out to Cohen for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-check sources:
- , April 15, Phone call with USA TODAY
- U.S. Marines, April 13,
- Department of Defense, Oct. 9, 2008,
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