Last week, President Joe Biden took a trip to Rome to sit down for a one-on-one with Pope Francis. After the meeting, an unflattering rumor about Biden began to make the rounds on Twitter.
According to Snopes, the rumor appears to have originally gained steam from a tweet by former Nevada GOP Chairwoman Amy Tarkanian.
“The word around Rome is that Biden’s meeting with the Pope was unusually long because Biden had a bit of an ‘bathroom accident’ at the Vatican & it had to be addressed prior to him leaving,” she wrote. “I know we joke often about this, but this is the actual rumor going around Rome now.”
The word around Rome is that Biden’s meeting with the Pope was unusually long because Biden had a bit of an “bathroom accident” at the Vatican & it had to be addressed prior to him leaving.
I know we joke often about this, but this is the actual rumor going around Rome now.
— Amy Tarkanian (@MrsT106) October 30, 2021
Snopes gave the claim a rating of “False” on its website Monday, and the fact-checker expanded upon that rating in the “Origin” section.
“There’s no evidence that this claim and the social media trend that sprang from it were based on anything other than idle gossip,” the outlet reported. “This claim wasn’t derived from photos or videos of Biden, or any credible news reports.”
Snopes gave the claim a rating of “False” on its website Monday, and the fact-checker expanded upon that rating in the “Origin” section.
“There’s no evidence that this claim and the social media trend that sprang from it were based on anything other than idle gossip,” the outlet reported. “This claim wasn’t derived from photos or videos of Biden, or any credible news reports.”
Former President Donald Trump endured similar rumors during his presidency. According to an April 2017 article from Snopes, social media users accused Trump of having an accident by distributing an altered image of him on the golf course.
Lying was wrong then, and it’s wrong now. No matter which party is in power, it is not appropriate to make up false stories.
Furthermore, it is not necessary to make up stories about Biden in order to underscore what a poor president he is. Through his ill-advised policies and frequent gaffes, Biden does that well enough for himself.
On the policy side, Biden has embarrassed himself plenty of times in his short tenure as president. Most notably, his botched Afghanistan withdrawal caused needless deaths and stranded Americans in a hostile country.
Stateside, Biden’s policies are causing problems for Americans every day. Supply chain problems can be felt at nearly every restaurant or retail store, and gas prices are through the roof.
On the same trip to Rome, Biden embarrassed himself by cruising around in an 85-car motorcade despite his supposed dedication to fighting climate change. While Americans struggle to afford a tank, the president has no problem emptying 85 of them.
In addition to his failed policies, Biden can hardly speak without embarrassing himself. During his meeting with Pope Francis, Biden awkwardly suggested the pope “buy the drinks” next time they are together.
Biden awkwardly tries joking with Pope Francis about him buying drinks the next time they meet pic.twitter.com/0UV43jNRmC
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) October 29, 2021
If Tarkanian wanted to make bathroom references, she could also have discussed the fact that Biden’s approval rating is in the toilet. According to the FiveThirtyEight average, just 42.9 percent of Americans approve of Biden’s job as president, compared to 50.7 percent who disapprove.
All that to say, Biden is struggling by himself as president of the United States. False rumors are not only inappropriate but also unnecessary to prove that point.
Story cited here.
