FACT CHECK: Viral X Video Does Not Authentically Show Staffer Giving Joe Biden Directions Inside The Capitol

September 19th, 2023
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 15: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers and auto companies in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on September 15, 2023 in Washington, DC. The United Auto Workers authorized a strike for the first time since 2019 amid negotiations with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

A viral video shared on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, purports to show a female staffer giving President Joe Biden directions inside the U.S. Capitol.

 

Verdict: False

The video has been digitally altered. Although the conversation between Biden and the woman is difficult to hear in the original video, it is clear she does not give him directions.

Fact Check:

Biden said he hopes the United Auto Workers union and automobile companies Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis will negotiate a “win-win” in providing a fair contract to their workers during a set of Sept. 15 remarks, according to NBC News. Union workers went on strike at midnight following failed negotiations, the outlet reported.

The X video, viewed nearly 65,000 times, purports to show a female staffer giving Biden directions inside the U.S. Capitol. “We’re in the capital [sic] building and you’re going the wrong way. Exit from the other side of the building like we gave in the map,” the female staffer appears to whisper to Biden. Text captions of the purported conversation between Biden and the female staffer also appear on the screen while the video plays.

The video has been digitally altered, however. The original clip shows a moment between Biden and an unidentified woman following his 2023 State of the Union address, according to C-SPAN. Although the conversation between Biden and the woman is difficult to hear, it is clear she does not give him directions.

Check Your Fact reviewed the clip of the interaction between Biden and the woman via C-SPAN, and it appears that Biden says, “People get angry. They feel like they’re being used” in reference to her comment. Check Your Fact was unable to determine what the woman said to Biden. It is also not clear if the woman is one of Biden’s staffers.

Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports supporting the claim that a female staffer gave Biden directions inside the U.S. Capitol. The White House also has neither publicly commented on the claim via its website nor its verified social media accounts. In addition, Biden has not addressed the claim via his personal or government X accounts. (RELATED: Is There No Evidence That Joe Biden Was Involved In His Son’s Business Affairs?)

Check Your Fact has contacted the White House Press Office for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter