FACT CHECK: Did Joe Biden’s Vehicle Display An Italian Flag During A Visit To Ireland?
A photo shared on Facebook allegedly shows President Joe Biden’s vehicle displaying an Italian flag during a visit to Ireland.
Verdict: False
This claim is baseless. A White House spokesperson confirmed the claim is false in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Biden visited Ireland last week to tour his ancestral home and visit with the nation’s leaders, according to The Associated Press. During the trip, Biden was moved to tears after meeting with the priest who performed last rites for his son, Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015, The Independent reported.
The Facebook post alleges Biden’s limo flew the Italian flag during the visit, instead of Ireland’s. The post appears to show a black limousine with the Italian flag on the hood of the car in front of a brick building.
“Joe Biden makes another gaff,” the post’s caption reads. “This is him on his way to a State banquet in Ireland…thinking the Italian flag is the Irish flag.”
The image was taken from a YouTube video uploaded by Sky News at around the 18:47 timestamp, in which the flag appears reddish in color. However, in a video uploaded to Twitter by Irish broadcast IRE News, the orange of the Irish flag can be seen around the 30:51 timestamp due to the difference in lighting, and possibly camera settings.
WATCH: Special programme on the banquet dinner at Dublin Castle in honour of US President Joe Biden | https://t.co/KZnJ4p1Km7 https://t.co/1y1JCa8IBW
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 13, 2023
A picture of the limo with the flag can be seen in an article from Daily Mail, which appears red as well, but the caption dubs the flag Ireland’s. Likewise, Reuters Pictures uploaded images of the visit, which show an Irish flag on the car, clearly with orange.
A White House spokesperson confirmed the claim is false in an email to Check Your Fact. (RELATED: Does This Video Show Joe Biden Being Led By A Blind Man?)
This is not the first time Biden has been the subject for misinformation online. Check Your fact recently debunked a claim suggesting the president was escorted by a blind Secret Service agent.
