False claim Biden banned talking about the Bible. That's unconstitutional | Fact check

Isabel C. Morales, USA TODAY
·3 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

The claim: Biden banned talking about the Bible

[En Español: Es falso que Biden prohibió hablar de la Biblia. Eso violaría la Constitución]

A May 13 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a picture of President Joe Biden with the U.S. flag as a background.

“President Joe Biden prohibits talking about the Bible this morning,” the post reads in Spanish, labeling it "breaking news" with the date May 8.

Similar versions of the claim spread on TikTok and X, formerly Twitter.

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Our rating: False

Biden did not announce a ban on the Bible on May 8. There has been no bill, law or executive order containing such a ban, and credible media outlets have not reported on any such action. Such a ban would be unconstitutional, an expert said.

Prohibiting the Bible or other books would be unconstitutional

On May 8, the day cited in the post, Biden traveled to the Midwest for appearances in Wisconsin and Chicago. But he did not mention the Bible, much less ban the Christian holy book.

There is likewise no credible news reporting about the Bible being banned by Biden.

The president does not have the power to ban the Bible or any other book, according to Caroline Mala Corbin, a law professor and First Amendment scholar at the University of Miami School of Law.

“Any attempt to ban ordinary citizens from buying or reading or talking about the Bible would violate the Free Speech Clause of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment,” Mala Corbin told USA TODAY. “The First Amendment protects the freedom of speech from government censorship.”

The post also falsely claims those who discuss the New Testament could face up to eight years in prison.

The post could be attempting to refer to the Antisemitism Awareness Act, a bill that passed the House of Representatives on May 1. This bill requires the Department of Education to expand the definition of antisemitism when it enforces federal anti-discrimination laws against Jews on college campuses.

However, this bill has no relation to prohibiting the Bible or the New Testament, a claim USA TODAY previously debunked. And the legislation does not create any penalty such as prison time for talking about the Bible or the New Testament, noting in its text that "nothing in this Act shall be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment."

Fact check: No, the House didn't pass bill to 'outlaw' the New Testament

The bill is now in the Senate’s hands, where its future is uncertain, as reported by the Associated Press. It would need Senate approval and Biden's signature to become law.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Banning the Bible would be unconstitutional | Fact check