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President Joe Biden has not always received the warmest of receptions during his public appearances, even addressing his hecklers directly, saying, "They're entitled to be outrageous, this is a democracy," adding that "good manners is nothing they've ever suffered from."
In one recent incident, Biden was heckled by Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg about his administration's stance on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, with Rosenberg calling "for a cease-fire right now."
Now, a viral TikTok has appeared to show the president being reproached by a member of military personnel onstage, arguing to "bring back the real president, Donald J. Trump."
The Claim
A TikTok by user @jimmybamba, posted on November 23, 2023, viewed more than 1 million times, showed a video of what looked like President Joe Biden standing behind a member of military personnel who appeared to say: "So anyway, please get rid of Joe Biden and bring back the real president, Donald J. Trump. Amen."
A caption above the video read: "I don't know...Is this even REAL?"
The Facts
The viral TikTok is not authentic.
This clip was taken from an event at the Norfolk Naval Station, in Virginia, on November 19, 2023. The event, dubbed "Friendsgiving," saw Biden and first lady Jill Biden serve Thanksgiving dinners to military personnel ahead of the holiday.
The event was widely covered by the press, with remarks recorded by the White House.
The person whose voice was dubbed over was a chaplain who led the attendees in prayer after the president delivered a speech.
Among his remarks, Biden announced the death of first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died on November 19, 2023.
The president praised attendees, saying it was his "duty and honor to make sure that you feel supported."
"You literally are—it's not hyperbole—so, you literally are the backbone, the spine, the sinew of this nation," Biden added.
"Only 1 percent of you—and it's important to keep in mind—1 percent of you—that's all—that protects the 99 percent of us. One percent. And the sacrifices you make—not just those who are in uniform but those who are not in uniform."
The name of the chaplain was not mentioned by Biden, nor was it mentioned in the accompanying transcript published by the White House. Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Navy for comment.
It is not the first time misleading audio has been edited into footage of the president. In May, heckles and a chorus of booing were added to a video of Biden visiting his granddaughter's graduation ceremony.
Similar heckling was added to footage of former President Barack Obama speaking in Michigan in October 2022, ahead of the midterms.
The Ruling
False.
The military personnel in the video did not say "get rid of Joe Biden and bring back the real president, Donald J. Trump."
The clip was taken from an event at the Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia, on November 19, 2023. The person in the TikTok was a chaplain who led the event in prayer after Biden gave a speech.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team
About the writer
Tom Norton is Newsweek's Fact Check reporter, based in London. His focus is reporting on misinformation and misleading information in ... Read more