Current:Home > FinanceFACT FOCUS: Online reports falsely claim Biden suffered a ‘medical emergency’ on Air Force One -FinTechWorld
FACT FOCUS: Online reports falsely claim Biden suffered a ‘medical emergency’ on Air Force One
View
Date:2025-04-20 00:03:22
False reports that President Joe Biden had a “medical emergency” while traveling back to Delaware on Friday after a campaign stop in Wisconsin, spread widely on social media on Friday. They were without merit.
Here’s a look at the facts.
___
CLAIM: President Joe Biden had a “medical emergency” aboard Air Force One on Friday.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. There were no signs of a medical emergency on the flight, according to an Associated Press reporter who was traveling with Biden. Air Force One arrived at Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Delaware, at 7:22 p.m. The president exited the plane on his own, saluted and spoke with an officer at the base of the stairs and took a question from a reporter before leaving the airport.
THE FACTS: As Biden returned to his home in Wilmington, Delaware, after a campaign stop in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday social media users falsely claimed that the president had suffered a “medical emergency” aboard Air Force One.
Air Force One landed in New Castle, Delaware, at 7:22 p.m. about the same time posts started spreading about Biden’s alleged medical emergency.
“I just received a tip from an anonymous source,” reads one X post. “My source says that Joe Biden is currently experiencing a medical emergency on Air Force One as I type this. No further details are known.”
What to know about the 2024 Election
- Democracy: American democracy has overcome big stress tests since 2020. More challenges lie ahead in 2024.
- AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more.
- Read the latest: Follow AP’s complete coverage of this year’s election.
Another X post states: “Joe Biden is reportedly having a medical emergency on Air Force One right now. Press access has been removed.” It had received approximately 15,000 likes and 10,900 shares as of Saturday morning.
The posts presented no evidence that such an event occurred. Press access was not removed.
Video shows Biden walking down the steps of Air Force One in Delaware, speaking with an officer, answering a reporter’s question about whether he would watch a highly anticipated interview he did with ABC News’ George Stephanopolous and getting into a car, all without issue.
There were no signs of an emergency aboard Air Force One and the press was not denied access to the plane at any point, according to an AP reporter who was traveling on Air Force One with Biden during the flight from Wisconsin to Delaware. The reporter added that press was able to move about the plane as usual and that a door separating press from Biden’s top staff was open for most of the flight.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates called the claim “100% false” in an X post on Friday night.
Other posts claimed that the press did not see Biden when the presidential motorcade arrived at his home Friday night and that his campaign had canceled upcoming events as a result of the supposed emergency.
A press pool was in Biden’s motorcade when he was dropped off at his Wilmington home, according to the AP reporter who was traveling with the president. The reporter said journalists did not see him enter the house, but they routinely do not see him enter his Wilmington home because it is set back from the street and it is typical to only see the motorcade going through the gates leading to the house.
Biden had no public events planned for Saturday. He was scheduled to speak at a National Education Association convention on Sunday, but canceled after the union’s staff announced a strike on Friday.
“President Biden is a fierce supporter of unions and he won’t cross a picket line,” his campaign said in a statement. “The President is still planning to travel to Pennsylvania this weekend.”
___
Associated Press reporters Colleen Long and Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
___
Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck.
veryGood! (73)
Related
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- Prince Harry Reunites With Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie at King Charles III's Coronation
- How Queen Elizabeth’s Corgis Are Still Living Like Royalty
- Here's How Sarah Ferguson Is Celebrating the Coronation At Home After Not Being Invited
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- A boil-water notice has been lifted in Jackson, Miss., after nearly 7 weeks
- Jim Hines, first sprinter to run 100 meters in under 10 seconds, dies at 76
- We Can Pull CO2 from Air, But It’s No Silver Bullet for Climate Change, Scientists Warn
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Texas Fracking Zone Emits 90% More Methane Than EPA Estimated
Ranking
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Why Prince Harry Didn't Wear His Military Uniform to King Charles III's Coronation
- Sea Level Rise Is Creeping into Coastal Cities. Saving Them Won’t Be Cheap.
- How Kate Middleton Honored Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana at Coronation
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Need a push to save for retirement? This 401(k) gives you up to $250 cash back
- Prince Andrew Wears Full Royal Regalia, Prince Harry Remains in a Suit at King Charles III's Coronation
- Flu is expected to flare up in U.S. this winter, raising fears of a 'twindemic'
Recommendation
Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
2016: When Climate Activists Aim to Halt Federal Coal Leases
Don’t Miss These Jaw-Dropping Pottery Barn Deals as Low as $6
Wildfires to Hurricanes, 2017’s Year of Disasters Carried Climate Warnings
Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
2015: The Year Methane Leaked into the Headlines
Revamp Your Spring Wardrobe With 85% Off Deals From J.Crew
Today’s Climate: June 11, 2010