Did Joe Biden Say 'I Know There's No Climate Problem' in Viral Video?

President Joe Biden appeared to admit in a short video of a past public address that "there's no climate change problem."

The 20-second clip, which is taken from a 2022 appearance and is archived here, has been viewed more than a million times on TikTok since Tuesday, as well as getting shared across other platforms this week. Its caption reads: "Biden says the quiet part loud."

In the video, the president says, "In addition, we're making the biggest investment ever to deal with the climate crisis. I know you all know there's no climate problem. I know you know that. That's why I spent a lot of time in Arizona, New Mexico and California, all through—flew up and down this state with your governor and those wildfires. I know they just happen."

Reactions to the viral clip ranged from mockery to suggestions that it was a "slip of the tongue" that exposed climate change as a "hoax."

"Biden says there is no climate change issue? What's happening?" one Twitter user wrote.

"It's the only truth he has ever said," another commenter said.

However, as Newsweek Misinformation Watch found, the video is taken out of key context showing that the president was being ironic. Misleadingly, the clip cuts off before the crowd is seen laughing in reaction to the joke.

The intended irony is revealed in the ensuing comment by the president, which can be verified in the official White House transcript of Biden's remarks. The speech was delivered in November 2022 on a visit to Carlsbad, California, where he discussed his administration's CHIPS and Science Act.

"Come on. We finally got to the point where no one is denying that we have a climate problem," Biden said immediately after his initial comment, as seen in the TikTok video. "But I was able to get not all I needed but $369 billion put in that bill."

During the visit, which included multiple locations, Biden spoke to local Democrats and employees of Viasat, a satellite internet provider and communications company headquartered in Carlsbad. He lauded his administration's efforts to combat climate change, including nearly $40 billion in subsidies to encourage domestic semiconductor production.

This is not the first time this part of the speech has been taken out of context and used to promote climate change denialism.

As fact-checkers, including PolitiFact and Agence France-Presse, reported at the time, a number of social media posts on Instagram, Twitter and other platforms used the same sound bite to mislead, in contrast to Biden's intended meaning.

Biden's self-admitted propensity for gaffes has often put him (and the White House press team) in hot water. It has also made him a target for false, misleading or manipulated content that misrepresented (or entirely fabricated) his public comments, as Newsweek has reported in the past.

Some recent examples include the claim that Biden failed to recognize his British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, during a trip to Northern Ireland.

Another clip of an old speech was misleadingly shared to promote the idea that the Biden administration was "coordinating" Donald Trump indictments to stop the former president from returning to power.