Stand up for the facts!

Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.

More Info

I would like to contribute

President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid. (AP) President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid. (AP)

President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid. (AP)

Ciara O'Rourke
By Ciara O'Rourke July 25, 2024

Now you see him?: Altered video of Joe Biden’s July 24 address spreads on social media

If Your Time is short

  • This video was altered. 

See the sources for this fact-check

President Joe Biden addressed the nation July 24 from the Oval Office, discussing his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. 

But a July 24 Instagram post claimed that the person delivering those remarks from The White House wasn’t Biden. 

"Watch his eyes!!!" text above a video of Biden read. "This has got to be CGI!"

A post sharing the video said: "This cannot be real, it’s not! Look at his eyes and then also check out his mouth… It’s either CGI or a mask but this ain’t Biden." (CGI stands for computer-generated imagery.)

This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

Sign up for PolitiFact texts

The video has been altered: It’s slower than the original and plays both forward and backward, making Biden appear to blink oddly. If you watch the background of the Instagram post’s video, the camera appears to zoom in and out rapidly. 

Featured Fact-check

In reality, as reflected in footage posted by news outlets and the White House, the camera zooms in on Biden only as he begins to speak. 

We rate claims that this video proves a fake Biden addressed the nation July 24 Pants on Fire!

RELATED: Biden is back at the White House. Viral claims that he was dying are unfounded

 

Read About Our Process

The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter

Our Sources

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by Ciara O'Rourke

Now you see him?: Altered video of Joe Biden’s July 24 address spreads on social media

Load more

Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!

In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.

Sign me up