At an Atlanta Braves celebration, President Joe Biden “demanded that all the little kids come up on stage to sit on his lap.”
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.
I would like to contribute
President Joe Biden holds an Atlanta Braves jersey during an event celebrating the team's 2021 World Series championship in the East Room of the White House on Sept. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Biden invited children at Atlanta Braves event on stage for photos, not to sit on his lap
If Your Time is short
-
President Joe Biden invited the Atlanta Braves to the White House on Sept. 26 to honor their 2021 World Series victory.
-
After a team photo, Biden invited children in attendance to get their photo taken with him and the team.
-
At no point did Biden tell or encourage anyone to sit on his lap. He kneeled down at one point for a photo with a small boy.
After President Joe Biden welcomed the Atlanta Braves to the White House on Sept. 26 to honor their 2021 World Series win, he was given a Braves jersey with his name on it, a tradition at these types of sports celebrations.
After posing for a team photo while holding up the jersey, Biden invited some of the children in attendance to pose for photos with him and the team.
It didn’t take long for some on social media to use the moment to revive false claims that the president is a pedophile.
"Joe Biden was welcoming the World Series champions Atlanta Braves to the White House when he did something extremely strange. He demanded that all the little kids come up on stage to sit on his lap," conservative commentator Benny Johnson said in a Facebook reel shared Sept. 27.
The 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.)
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
A full video (beginning at the 14:20 mark) of the event available on C-SPAN tells a much different story than the one described in Johnson's deceptively edited video, which shows only portions of a larger event and dramatically zooms in on children’s faces
"Hey guys, come here. Everybody under 15 come here," Biden said after snapping some photos with the team.
Featured Fact-check
The full video shows five children lined up next to Biden in front of the group. When one very young boy approached, Biden dropped to one knee, to the boy’s level, and held out the jersey, waving the boy to come closer. The youngster hesitated a moment, then came closer and turned around so a photographer could take his photo with the president.
Biden did not tell the boy, or any other children, to sit on his lap.
Our ruling
A deceptively edited video claims that while hosting the Atlanta Braves at the White House, the president urged children in attendance to come onstage and sit on his lap.
After posing for a team photo with the Braves, Biden did urge the children to come on stage to get a photo with him. But he didn’t ask any of them to sit on his lap. We rate this Pants on Fire!
Our Sources
Facebook reel, Sept. 27, 2022
C-SPAN, "President Biden Welcomes Atlanta Braves to White House," Sept. 26, 2022
MLB.com, "Braves visit White House: 'It's an incredible honor'," Sept. 26, 2022
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Jeff Cercone
Biden invited children at Atlanta Braves event on stage for photos, not to sit on his lap
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.