FACT CHECK: Did Joe Biden Fake A Recent Visit To A Childrenâs Hospital?
A post shared on Facebook claims President Joe Biden recently faked a visit to a childrenâs hospital in Washington, D.C.
Verdict: False
The presidentâs visit to the pediatric hospital was not faked. The visit took place at the hospitalâs Seacrest Studios, an interactive area that allows the children to learn about various media formats.
Fact Check:
Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited the Childrenâs National Hospital in D.C. on Christmas Eve, according to the presidentâs public schedule available on Factba.se. Since then, Facebook users have been sharing a screen grab showing the Bidens with the words âSeacrest Studiosâ circled in red, alleging the president faked the visit to the childrenâs hospital using a movie set.
âEverything Biden says or does is a lie,â reads one such Facebook post. âOn Christmas Eve, the Sock Puppet and his fake doctor wife pretended to visit a âchildrenâs hospital.â What it was instead was a film studio - Seacrest Studios - mocked up to sort of look like a childrenâs hospital.â
The claim that Joe and Jill Biden faked their Christmas Eve visit to Childrenâs National Hospital is baseless. The Associated Press has published photos from the visit of Biden and his wife interacting with patients at the hospital. There is also a video taken by Reuters that depicts the couple speaking to and reading with the pediatric patients.
The âSeacrest Studiosâ sign visible in the screen grab being shared on Facebook is not an indication of the event being faked. Childrenâs National Hospital has had a Seacrest Studios in its atrium since 2015, according to the hospitalâs website. The Ryan Seacrest Foundation established it and other such studios in various pediatric hospitals, according to the nonprofitâs website.
âEstablished by the Ryan Seacrest Foundation in 2015, our state-of-the-art facility gives kids an interactive space to explore radio, television and social media, share their on-air talents and participate in entertaining programs that are broadcast directly to patient rooms,â Childrenâs National Hospital explains on its website. âOur studio is the ultimate playroom, providing fun games, arts and crafts and other creative outlets that contribute to the healing process for children and families dealing with illness.â
Diana Troese, the manager of public relations at Childrenâs National Hospital, also confirmed to Check Your Fact that Joe Bidenâs visit occurred. (RELATED: Does This Image Show Joe Biden With Jeffrey Epstein?)
âSeacrest Studios is located in the main atrium of Childrenâs National Hospital, which is where the visit occurred,â she said. âIt is a radio station for our patients, established as part of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.â