President Joe Biden “employed actors to portray Marine guards” during a Sept. 1 speech.
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President Joe Biden delivers a speech outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sept. 1, 2022. (AP)
No, Biden didn’t hire actors to pose as U.S. Marines
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There is no evidence that the Marines who stood behind President Joe Biden during his Sept. 1 speech in Philadelphia were actors. The White House rebutted the claim.
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The claim came from Real Raw News, a website known for sharing wildly unfounded claims about politicians and the military.
Before President Joe Biden walked onto the platform to deliver a Sept. 1 speech on democracy, two U.S. Marines stepped onto the stage first. However, a viral video claimed they weren’t members of the military at all.
Biden "employed actors to portray Marine guards" during the speech, according to the video posted Sept. 3 on Facebook. The video cited "a source in General Berger’s office." Gen. David H. Berger is the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.
A narrator read aloud text on the screen that said, "the men in uniform … were not Marines at all. They were imposters."
The video was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
But there is no evidence to support the claim. The U.S. Marine Corps directed our request for comment to the White House, which said the claim was untrue.
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The text the video uses came from a Sept. 3 story in Real Raw News, a website known for concocting stories about politicians and the military.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also mentioned the Marines during a Sept. 2 press briefing.
"The presence of the Marines at the speech was intended to demonstrate the deep and abiding respect the president has for these services — service members, to these ideals and the unique role our independent military plays in defending our democracy, no matter which party is in power," Jean-Pierre said.
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Our ruling
A Facebook video said Biden "employed actors to portray Marine guards" during a Sept. 1 speech.
There is no evidence that the Marines were actors. The White House said the claim is untrue. The claim originated from a website that has a history of publishing fabricated stories.
We rate this Pants on Fire!
Our Sources
Facebook video, Sept. 3, 2022
Real Raw News, Biden hires crisis actors to portray U.S. Marines, Sept. 3, 2022
PolitiFact, Hangings, guillotines and Gitmo: Going behind Real Raw News’ sensational (and fabricated) headlines, July 12, 2021
Military, White House Says Marines at Biden Speech Meant to Show 'Respect' for Military, Sept. 2, 2022
The Hill, White House defends presence of Marines at Biden speech, Sept. 2, 2022
The White House YouTube channel, President Biden Delivers a Primetime Speech on the Continued Battle for the Soul of the Nation, Sept. 1, 2022
The White House, Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Sept. 2, 2022
Interview with Chris Meagher, White House deputy press secretary, Sept. 6, 20223.
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No, Biden didn’t hire actors to pose as U.S. Marines
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