Did Biden Put a Medal on Backwards During Ceremony?

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A widespread caricature of Joe Biden between his critics is what they see as his absence of psychological fortitude, attributed by some to his age.

The president, who has named himself a gaffe machine, has normally misspoke in speeches, leaving White House employees to cleanse up afterward.

This seeming absent-mindedness may nonetheless injury his chances of re-election in 2024, should he determine to stand for one more phrase, with even remaining-leaning pundits involved of his abilities.

On the other hand, the clamor to make enjoyable or place out these flaws can also direct to accidental or deliberate distortion of truth, as Biden’s opponents leap on the social media bandwagon.

Biden Medal of Honor
A viral Twitter submit promises that U.S. President Joe Biden recently presented a medal on the mistaken way spherical to its recipient, element of an ongoing significant narrative questioning Biden’s exercise for office. Pictured in this article, awarding the Medal of Honor to retired US Army Specialist 5 Dwight W. Birdwell for his actions in the Vietnam War, for the duration of a ceremony in the East Area of the White Residence in Washington, DC, July 5, 2022.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Pictures

The Claim

A tweet sent on July 6, 2022, with the caption “Biden places medals on backwards” reveals a online video clip of the president presenting what appears to be a armed service decoration.

The video clip, which has additional than 40,000 engagements, shows a small blue ribbon worn all over the recipient’s neck. It has also spread on other social media platforms, such as Telegram, the place it was immediately weaponized by pro-Kremlin channels.

The Information

Videos of Joe Biden, shared on social media, have generally been used out of context as proof that he’s not healthy for workplace.

In May well 2022, a clip of the president indicating “Don’t bounce” to a White Household photographer was applied to incorrectly claim he had made the remark to a Paralympic athlete. In November 2021, it was also wrongly claimed that he had read a teleprompter instruction through a speech.

In this most new scenario, footage of the president has all over again been posted with no proper context or awareness.

The clip from Twitter was pulled from a extended movie filmed on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, at the White Home in which president Biden offered the Medal of Honor, the optimum award for army valor in action, to four veterans of the Vietnam war.

The medal is attached by a brief blue ribbon that sits on the collar of the receiver and, according to the American Battlefield Believe in, it is the only American army decoration to be worn in this way.

Until Entire world War II it was most normally pinned to the breast of recipients but soon after 1942, the blue neck ribbon was adopted to distinguish it from other honors.

A video library demonstrating previous presidents presenting the medal can be observed on the CMOHS site.

It appears those people who tweeted that Joe Biden experienced put on the medal backwards, could have considered the medal by itself was hanging reduced on the back of the receiver, pulling the ribbon against the throat (even although at the start off of the clip you can see the ribbon connected all-around the again of neck).

The clip on Twitter is edited not to incorporate the comprehensive online video, which obviously exhibits the president presenting the medal on its limited ribbon to the receiver.

The soldier in the clip is army specialist Dwight W. Birdwell. The audience at the White Residence ceremony were being informed how on January 31, 1968, Birdwell “beneath extreme enemy fire” moved a wounded tank commander to protection throughout conflict at the Tan Son Nhut Airbase near Saigon through the Tet Offensive, a series of assaults by North Vietnamese forces on outposts in South Vietnam.

Birdwell, a citizen of the Cherokee nation, then used the tank to fireplace back at the enemy drive. Owning spent all readily available ammunition, Birdwell then moved to a downed squadron commander’s helicopter to retrieve weaponry utilised to even further suppress the enemy forces.

Birdwell was wounded when his machine gun was hit by fire but he refused evacuation, afterwards major a group of defenders to engage instantly with the enemy, disrupting the assault until finally reinforcements arrived.

A complete biography of Birdwell and his incredible actions in Vietnam can be observed on the U.S. Military website.

Other veterans presented the honor by president Biden were military main John J. Duffy, military expert Dennis M. Fujii, and staff sergeant Edward N Kaneshiro.

While Biden is routinely castigated on social media, generally for statements missing important context, this individual example of misinformation is specially egregious, hijacking a solemn situation meant to honor servicemen who put their life at threat, simply just to make an unwell-educated jab.

The Ruling

Fact Check - False

Wrong.

The video clip shared on Twitter does not exhibit president Biden placing on a medal backwards. The clip was taken from a White Household ceremony in which four veterans of the Vietnam war were presented with the Medal of Honor, the greatest award for navy valor in motion. The medal is hooked up by a blue ribbon which sits at the collar of the receiver. It is the only variety of U.S. armed forces decoration which is worn this way.

Point Test BY Newsweek’s Point Verify team

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