{"id":561265,"date":"2021-06-11T17:06:14","date_gmt":"2021-06-11T21:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=561265"},"modified":"2021-06-11T17:06:22","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T21:06:22","slug":"fact-check-did-james-mattis-make-this-statement-about-idaho","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-check-did-james-mattis-make-this-statement-about-idaho\/","title":{"rendered":"FACT CHECK: Did James Mattis Make This Statement About Idaho?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffact-check-did-james-mattis-make-this-statement-about-idaho%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=561265&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>An image\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mwilliams0283\/posts\/2233795433422687\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/david.sowers.7\/posts\/4277279658998734&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1623502018975000&#038;usg=AFQjCNH9gzfLxTfF4QZCE3THlO3xCheXGg\">shared on Facebook<\/a> claims former Secretary of Defense James Mattis said there\u2019s a backup American flag in case Idaho \u201cdisappears.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7212339\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7212339\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-7212339\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/generalmattisidaho.jpeg\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/generalmattisidaho.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/generalmattisidaho-121x120.jpeg 121w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/generalmattisidaho-620x617-1.jpeg 620w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/generalmattisidaho-768x765-1.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/generalmattisidaho-1536x1529-1.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/generalmattisidaho-2048x2039-1.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 804px) 100vw, 804px\"  style=\"display:none\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7212339\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Screenshot\/Facebook<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span><strong>Verdict: False<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>There is no record of Mattis making the comment. The statement appears to stem from a satire website.<\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Fact Check:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Mattis, who served as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/Our-Story\/Biographies\/Biography\/Article\/1055835\/james-mattis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Secretary of Defense<\/a> under former President Donald Trump from January 2017 to December 2018, is known for his quotes, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2020\/12\/21\/7-best-quotes-from-the-legendary-gen-jim-mattis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Military Times<\/a>. Now, some social media users have been sharing an alleged Mattis quote about how the U.S. has a backup flag just in case Idaho \u201cdisappears.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a backup design for a flag with only 49 stars just in case Idaho somehow disappears,\u201d Mattis purportedly said. \u201cThat\u2019s not to say that Idaho will disappear, but believe me, were it to happen, we\u2019d be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There is, however, no record of Mattis ever saying such a thing. Check Your Fact searched the Department of Defense\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/search.usa.gov\/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&#038;affiliate=defensegov&#038;sort_by=&#038;query=We+have+a+backup+design+for+a+flag+with+only+49+stars+just+in+case+Idaho+somehow+disappears\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">website<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/Newsroom\/releases\/?Search=Idaho+Flag\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">press releases<\/a>, but found no instance of the quote attributed to Mattis in the Facebook post. Nor does the comment appear on the Department of Defense\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DeptofDefense?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">verified social<\/a>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DeptofDefense\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">media accounts<\/a>. Mattis does not appear to have his own verified social media accounts where he could post the statement.<\/p>\n<p>Had Mattis said the U.S. had a backup flag in case Idaho \u201cdisappears,\u201d media outlets likely would have reported on it, yet an internet search turned up no such <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=james+mattis+idaho+49+states&#038;source=hp&#038;ei=D6XDYLHMPIfb0AT1_JzgDQ&#038;iflsig=AINFCbYAAAAAYMOzIAZsLqQdypIReG6UO1dyAB8I-bVi&#038;oq=james+mattis+idaho+49+states&#038;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EANQAFgAYOsBaABwAHgAgAEAiAEAkgEAmAEAoAECqgEHZ3dzLXdpeg&#038;sclient=gws-wiz&#038;ved=0ahUKEwjxj53rlJDxAhWHLZQKHXU-B9wQ4dUDCAk&#038;uact=5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">news reports<\/a>.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/checkyourfact.com\/2021\/04\/29\/fact-check-underwater-flag-pearl-harbor-replaced\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: Does This Image Show An Underwater American Flag At Pearl Harbor Being Replaced?)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The claim appears to stem from a March 2017 article published on <a href=\"https:\/\/clickhole.com\/find-out-what-james-mattis-charlize-theron-and-shaile-1825126070\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ClickHole<\/a>. ClickHole explicitly states it is a satire website, saying, \u201cThe First Amendment protects satire as a form of free speech and expression. ClickHole uses invented names in all of its stories, except in cases where public figures are being satirized.\u201d Despite this, social media users have shared the quote without such a warning, seemingly believing it to be a genuine statement from Mattis.<\/p>\n<p>This is not the first time social media users have shared a quote falsely attributed to Mattis. Recently, Check Your Fact <a href=\"https:\/\/checkyourfact.com\/2021\/06\/07\/fact-check-james-mattis-people-burn-flag-two-years-military\/\">debunked<\/a> the false claim that Mattis said, \u201cIf you burn the American flag you\u2019ll spend two years in the military.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An image\u00a0shared on Facebook claims former Secretary of Defense James Mattis said there\u2019s a backup American flag in case Idaho \u201cdisappears.\u201d &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2280067,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/generalmattisidaho.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"FACT CHECK: Did James Mattis Make This Statement About Idaho?","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-561265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/generalmattisidaho.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"FACT CHECK: Did James Mattis Make This Statement About Idaho?","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=561265"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561265\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2280067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=561265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=561265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=561265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}