Clip of Biden praying with soldier dubbed with fabricated audio
- Published on December 4, 2023 at 21:12
- 2 min read
- By Bill MCCARTHY, AFP USA
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"So anyway, please get rid of Joe Biden and bring back the real president, Donald J Trump. Amen," the soldier appears to say in the clip.
Joe Biden, a practicing Catholic, seems to acknowledge the message by making a sign of the cross with his hand.
The video spread across platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Soldier stands in front of Joe Biden & prays out loud for God to bring back President Donald Trump!" says a November 25, 2023 post on X.
But the clip is flipped horizontally and dubbed with a fabricated audio track.
Reverse image and keyword searches reveal it is altered from footage of a Friendsgiving dinner the president and first lady attended with service members from the USS Dwight D Eisenhower and the USS Gerald R Ford, two Navy aircraft carriers.
The event took place November 19 -- days before the Thanksgiving holiday -- at the Norfolk Naval Station in the state of Virginia. Both Joe and Jill Biden, as well as a military spouse, gave remarks (archived here).
In the original White House footage (archived here), the chaplain's prayer did not mention Trump, who is challenging Biden to return to the White House in 2024 despite being embroiled in several criminal investigations.
Instead, he offered thanks for American freedom, service members and their families and friends. He also prayed for guidance, support and protection for the United States and its military.
The chaplain concluded by saying: "We ask your divine favor on this gathering. Bless our fellowship. Bless the food that we will receive. In your holy name, we pray. Amen."
AFP contacted the White House for comment, but no response was forthcoming.
AFP has debunked other altered visuals of Biden here, here and here.
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