Video of Biden whispering lewd remark to child is altered | Fact check

Gabrielle Settles, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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The claim: Video shows Biden whispering a lewd remark to a child

A Sept. 19 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows what appears to be a close-up view of President Joe Biden as he leans in to whisper something to a child.

His face goes out of frame, but what sounds like his voice can be heard saying, “You’re one sexy kid. Don’t tell Mommy what I told you. You got it?”

A woman turns the camera onto herself and Biden, and there’s a short pause before she’s heard saying, “I’m recording you.”

“He didn’t (know) it was being recorded!” reads on-screen text included in the video. The Instagram post was liked more than 1,000 times in a day.

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Our rating: Altered

The video is altered. Biden does not make a lewd remark in the original footage.

No lewd remark in original footage

The Instagram post is an altered version of a video first shared on TikTok on June 9. The TikTok video shows Biden briefly talking with a woman holding an infant and then taking a selfie with a group of people. At no point does the president make a lewd remark to the woman or anyone else.

The video was taken during a June visit Biden and his wife, first lady Jill Biden, made to Fort Liberty in North Carolina. The president was there to speak about the Joining Forces initiative, a program to support military families in the areas of employment, entrepreneurship, child education and health.

He also signed an executive order to advance economic security for military and veteran spouses looking to find jobs within their field or who need support for their entrepreneurial opportunities.

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After his speech, the Bidens shook hands and interacted with military members and their families – which is when the president spoke with the woman and child. The woman’s TikTok video shows that she recorded herself and Joe Biden as he talked to her and the baby in her arms.

“You gotta take all these pictures? Yeah! You’re good," he appears to say to the child. He then says, “Let me whisper you a secret," proceeds to lean toward the child to whisper something in its ear, and then says, “Don’t tell mommy what I told you.”

The woman then smiles and poses with Biden, who asks if she captured the photo.

“Mm-hmm,” she responds. “I’m recording.”

“Oh you’re recording!” Joe Biden says, and they laugh. He then poses for a selfie with the woman and other members of the crowd before moving on.

At no point does the president say, "You’re one sexy kid."

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

Reuters also debunked this claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video of Biden making lewd remark to a child is altered | Fact check