FACT CHECK: No, Video Does Not Show Barack Obama In Guantanamo Bay Prison Cell

Anna Mock | Fact Check Reporter

A video shared on X purports to show former President Barack Obama in a prison cell at Guantanamo Bay detention camp after allegedly being arrested on Sept. 29, 2019. 

Verdict: False

The post is miscaptioned. The video actually shows Obama visiting Nelson Mandela’s cell in July 2013.

Fact Check: 

During an interview, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich claimed President Joe Biden “didn’t want to go” and stated he thinks Biden blames the former first family, the Obamas, for pressuring him out of the 2024 election, according to The Hill. Gingrich also said that having Biden speak at the Democratic National Convention was “sad” and “almost insulting,” according to the outlet.

A post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, purports to show Obama in a cell at Guantanamo Bay after being arrested. The video shows Obama wearing a blue button-down shirt and standing in a prison cell with his back towards the camera. At one point, he turns to the side, his gaze fixed on the floor and his hands in his pockets.

“THIS IS A VIDEO OF BARACK OBAMA WHEN HE ENTER GITMO JAIL ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2019 WHEN HE WAS ARRESTED,” the post’s caption reads. (RELATED: No, Katie Hobbs Was Not Hanged At GITMO)

This caption is inaccurate, however. The video actually shows July 2013 footage of Obama visiting Robben Island jail, where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years, according to The Guardian. The Obama White House posted more footage of this visit to YouTube. During his trip, Obama wrote in the guestbook, visited several countries and announced an initiative to increase access to electricity in the sub-Saharan parts of the continent, according to BBC

Furthermore, there are no credible news reports to suggest Obama was arrested on Sept. 29, 2019, as the post claims.

Check Your Fact reached out to an Obama spokesperson for comment. 

Anna Mock

Fact Check Reporter

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