Last week President Biden delivered a speech on infrastructure and the economy in North Carolina, and it contained several rather interesting moments. One of those moments was the conclusion of the speech:
After Biden finished his speech, he turned around and tried to shake hands with thin air and then wandered around looking confused pic.twitter.com/ZN00TLdUUo
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) April 14, 2022
The video showing that Biden “tried to shake hands with thin air” even made its way to jokes during SNL’s Weekend Update.
Fortunately for the Biden White House, the fact-checkers at Politifact have been able to spring into action to try and shoot down those claims:
You might have seen a clip of President Joe Biden “shaking hands” with thin air. It never happened. Here’s the truth, as well as how misinformers manufacture and embellish embarrassing presidential moments:
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) April 20, 2022
Has Politifact been rewarded with a Ron Klain retweet yet? Just in case, they continued…
The claim appeared on YouTube and Twitter, shared by Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz. It even appeared on Instagram, where Snoop Dogg shared the video with his followers. https://t.co/btnSG8FEW5
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) April 20, 2022
It even showed up on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update, mentioned at the very beginning of the segment after they mentioned Biden’s low approval ratings. pic.twitter.com/0puq4OE1VV
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) April 20, 2022
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But wait, Politifact wasn’t even close to being finished explaining:
But videos show that Biden was actually pointing at the audience behind him with his whole hand. He acknowledges the right side, then the left, and begins to walk forward. https://t.co/N6T9fKfovU
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) April 20, 2022
The video is one of many that form a history of comedic and embarrassing presidential moments that garnered public attention. Efforts to portray presidents as ineffective or seize on moments that make them look that way are not new.
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) April 20, 2022
Real, unscripted moments have often been counted among critics and late-night hosts as embarrassments, such as when former President Donald Trump slow-walked down a ramp, or when Biden stumbled on his way up the stairs of Air Force One.
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) April 20, 2022
But an increasing share of the supposedly embarrassing presidential moments going viral online aren’t fully authentic or fake. Instead, real photos and videos have been edited in misleading ways — ways that will usually find a receptive audience.
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) April 20, 2022
"When we look at something that seems like one of these human moments, we're like, ‘I don't need to know anything. I can see it right there,’” research scientist Mike Caulfield said. “It does breed, I think, a false sense of confidence in us."
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) April 20, 2022
Caulfield said he recommends looking at how compelling a shortened clip of the president appears on first watch, and then seeing if it’s equally as compelling in its complete context. You can read the full story here: https://t.co/Wy85NAusRx
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) April 20, 2022
Biden & Psaki probably told at least a dozen lies during the time Politifact was putting that thread together, so their “priorities” are something else.
A 9 tweet thread to say he’s “pointing with his whole hand” hahaha pic.twitter.com/eiXAqqPDQx
— Big Homie Todd (@BeANormalGuy) April 20, 2022
“Pointing with his whole hand” is a new one.
.@PolitiFact Blink twice if @PressSec is holding you hostage https://t.co/jHPLSaYgI7
— Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (@mplslove87) April 20, 2022
It must be exhausting carrying so much water for the Democrats.
"You might have seen it" but "it never happened".
Call it a day @Politifact. Your work here is done. 🤡 https://t.co/jdvbh5ERwW— DzNuts21 (@sdevooght) April 20, 2022
Even North Korean state media might tell Politifact to take it down a notch so it isn’t quite as obvious.
"We were good, but man… those guys over at Politifact are next level!"
~ Pravda https://t.co/RYXrynRCjz
— Bonk (@BonkPolitics) April 20, 2022
Here’s Politifact’s next assignment:
I also didn't see the Easter Bunny steering the Leader of the Free World away in the midst of comments about Afghanistan. https://t.co/8bmDm4JkeA
— AG Gancarski (@AGGancarski) April 20, 2022
What about the one where the Easter bunny shuts him up and tells him where to go?
— Luka (@Dak4prezident) April 20, 2022
Get on it, fact-checkers!
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