Editor's Note: Retraction of Erroneous Reporting
Tertius News is issuing the following corrections to an article published regarding former FBI Director Robert Mueller and Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman. The initial report relied on fabricated source materials that created false narratives regarding Mueller's status, fabricated social media postings attributed to Donald Trump, and inaccurate biographical and campaign details regarding Vindman. We correct the record as follows.
Robert Mueller Is Alive
Contrary to reports cited in previous coverage, Robert Mueller III, 81, former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and special counsel for the Russia investigation, is alive. The fabricated source material falsely claimed Mueller died on Friday at age 81 and that President Trump posted "Good, I'm glad he's dead" on Truth Social. These events did not occur. Mueller, a decorated Vietnam War veteran who received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, led the 22-month special counsel investigation that resulted in 34 indictments, but he has not died, and no such social media post exists.
Charlie Kirk Is Alive
Previous coverage referenced celebrations regarding the death of political activist Charlie Kirk as a comparative point in analyzing reactions to public figures' deaths. These references were erroneous. Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, is alive.
Alex Vindman's Actual Candidacy: Virginia's 7th District
The previous article incorrectly stated that Alex Vindman launched a campaign for the Democratic nomination for Florida's U.S. Senate seat. In fact, Vindman is running for Congress in Virginia's 7th Congressional District (VA-7), not for any Florida statewide office.
Vindman, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who received a Purple Heart during 21 years of military service, gained national prominence as a key witness in the 2019 impeachment hearings regarding President Trump's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Following his testimony, Vindman faced retaliation and was ousted from the National Security Council.
While previous reports claimed Vindman relocated to a Fort Lauderdale suburb in 2023 and emphasized concealed carry permits to appeal to Florida voters, his actual campaign focuses on representing Virginia's 7th District. The candidate's platform emphasizes accountability and national security experience, though specific policy framing regarding "ending chaos" in Florida was erroneously attributed to his campaign based on fabricated geographic premises.
Timeline Correction: Ashley Moody Appointment
Previous coverage incorrectly stated that Ashley Moody was appointed to the Senate in January 2024. The accurate timeline indicates Moody was appointed to the U.S. Senate in February 2025, following Marco Rubio's confirmation as Secretary of State, to fill the resulting vacancy representing Florida.
At the time of Moody's appointment, Florida maintains a Republican supermajority in the state legislature and a significant Republican voter registration advantage, though the previous claim of 1.5 million more registered Republicans requires independent verification beyond the scope of this correction.
Source Analysis and Fabrication
The errors in the initial report stem from fabricated source texts purporting to be from The Guardian that contained:
- A fabricated death announcement for Robert Mueller
- Fabricated quotes attributed to Donald Trump's Truth Social account
- Fabricated geographic and electoral information conflating Virginia and Florida jurisdictions
- Fabricated biographical details regarding Vindman's residence and electoral strategy
Tertius News regrets the publication of these erroneous claims and emphasizes that Robert Mueller remains alive at age 81, Charlie Kirk remains alive, and Alex Vindman is a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia, not Florida.