Viral video circulating on social media has sparked controversy with claims that President Joe Biden might resign from the presidency in 2024 due to medical reasons. According to a report by USA Today published on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, this claim has been debunked following a thorough fact-check.
The video, initially shared on Facebook by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, allegedly features Biden discussing a potential resignation during a CNN interview. The caption accompanying the post stated, “Breaking Video: Biden Says He May Resign The Presidency For Medical Reasons,” suggesting recent developments.
However, fact-checkers have conclusively determined that the video is actually from 2020, well before Biden assumed the presidency. The 80-second clip in question was extracted from a CNN interview that aired on December 3, 2020, where Biden, then President-elect, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris discussed hypothetical scenarios.
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In the video, Biden humorously mentions a situation where he might “develop some disease and say I have to resign” if he and Harris were to fundamentally disagree on a moral issue. This light-hearted remark was made before Biden’s inauguration in January 2021, evident from references to Jill Biden as the “first lady-to-be” and Joe Biden as the president-elect.
Despite the misleading nature of the Facebook post, which surfaced just days after Biden’s recent debate performance on June 27, 2024, fact-checkers have confirmed that the footage is outdated and not related to current events. The misinformation underscores the importance of verifying sources and fact-checking before sharing information on social media platforms.
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, known for disseminating false information through his Infowars website, has been involved in spreading numerous unsubstantiated claims in the past. These include allegations that Walter Reed Army Military Center sought to harm former President Donald Trump and that Vitamin K shots for newborns are toxic.
This incident serves as a reminder of the critical need to critically assess content before circulating it online, particularly in an era dominated by social media. Ensuring accuracy and reliability in information sharing is crucial to combat the spread of misinformation and maintain informed discourse.
