An image that appears to show Joe Biden groping a woman is altered

Former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign has been dogged by allegations that he inappropriately touches women, perhaps explaining why an old, altered photo is now appearing in some social media feeds. 

"Gropin’ Joe Biden with a woman not his wife," reads the text of a 2017 Facebook post sharing an image that appears to show Biden grabbing a woman’s chest as they pose for a photo. 

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

Featured Fact-check

Tim Walz

stated on September 21, 2024 in an event in Bethlehem, Pa.

“The last union member on a national ticket (was) Ronald Reagan.”

The real photo from a 2013 holiday party when Biden was vice president shows him with his hands on the waist of Hill reporter Amie Parnes. The image went viral then as Biden drew criticism for how high his hands were — the Daily Caller headline said: "Vice President Joe Biden gropes White House reporter." 

The World News Bureau, which posts fake news stories, published an article with the doctored photo that appears in the Facebook post. A bottle of Wild Turkey bourbon was also edited into the image so that it appears to be sticking out of his pocket. 

We rate this Facebook post False.