Hurricane-prone states The day in pictures Get the USA TODAY app Start the day smarter ☀️ U.S. Elections Sports Entertainment Life Money Tech Travel Opinion ONLY AT USA TODAY: Newsletters For Subscribers From the Archives Crossword eNewspaper Magazines Investigations Podcasts Video Humankind Just Curious Best-selling Booklist 24/7 Live Stream Legals OUR PORTFOLIO: 10Best USAT Wine Club Online Sports Betting Online Casino Reviewed Homefront Blueprint Southern Kitchen Best Auto Insurance Best Pet Insurance Best Travel Insurance Best Credit Cards Best CD Rates Best Personal Loans Home Internet FACT CHECK fact-checking Add Topic # Fact check: Joe Biden didn\'t take a knee upon seeing a flag; he was talking to a child ![\\"Portrait](\\"/gcdn/presto/2020/06/09/PAPP/af834957-606e-4c1d-b332-b6d93b92b1de- La_Rocca_Len_NJ.png?crop=364,364,x0,y0&width=48&height=48&format=pjpg&auto=webp\\") Len La Rocca USA TODAY ![\\"\\"](\\"/gcdn/presto/2020/07/30/USAT/1b0b369b-eb6e-4b2a-a264-d2bf4d1acea7-AP20191774832021.jpg?crop=3968,2232,x0,y201&width=660&height=371&format=pjpg&auto=webp\\"/) PlayPause Sound OnSound Off 0:00 0:38 AD SKIP ClosedCaptionOpen ShareEnter Full ScreenExit Full Screen ## The claim: Presidential candidate Joe Biden kneels in the street upon seeing a U.S. flag A Facebook post with a picture of former Vice President Joe Biden kneeling at his childhood home in Scranton, Pennsylvania, has gone viral for claiming that he kneeled because he saw an American flag nearby. The caption on the post reads, “Joe Biden takes a knee after spotting an American flag near his childhood home in Pennsylvania.” The poster, Renee Hudson Perfecto, also added this comment to the post: “And he wants to be President of this great Country? If he will bend a knee to our flag for the mob, what will he also bend for with foreign envisions (sic) and other Countries? Wow! Never vote for someone this weak!\" USA TODAY has reached out to the poster for comment. ## Biden\'s visit to Scranton Outrage over systemic racism has led to many athletes kneeling during the national anthem. The post appears to tie Biden to that movement. But Biden was actually kneeling to speak to a child at eye level outside his boyhood home in, while on a visit to Scranton. Fact check:Viral photo shows Obama, Fauci visiting NIH lab in 2014, not a \'Wuhan lab\' in 2015 This view from C-SPAN shows that Biden is simply speaking to a young child. “How old are you? This many,” Biden asked while holding up four fingers. This view from DailyMail.com shows a nearby house did have an American flag hanging outside the home, but Biden’s attention was not on the house, nor the flag, but rather the conversation he was having with the child. Further, the photo, taken by Matt Slocum for the Associated Press, has this caption: \"Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden kneels to talk with a child during a visit to Biden\'s childhood home in Scranton, Pa., on Thursday, July 9, 2020.\" ## Our ruling: False We rate this claim FALSE because it is not supported by our research. Biden was kneeling to speak at eye level with a child. ## Our fact-check sources: * Renee Hudson Perfecto, July 11, 2020, Facebook post * C-SPAN, Joe Biden Visits Childhood Home In Scranton, Pennsylvania * DailyMail.com. Biden kneels outside his boyhood home while on the campaign trail * AP Images, July 9, 2020, in Scranton, Pa. * PolitiFact, Photo shows Biden kneeling to talk to a child, not because he saw an American flag * Lead Stories, Fact Check: Biden Did NOT Kneel At An American Flag In His Hometown Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. Featured Weekly Ad About Us Newsroom Staff Ethical Principles Responsible Disclosure Request a Correction Press Releases Accessibility Sitemap Subscription Terms & Conditions Terms of Service Privacy Policy Your Privacy Choices Contact Us Help Center Manage Account Give Feedback Get Home Delivery eNewspaper USA TODAY Shop USA TODAY Print Editions Licensing & Reprints Advertise With Us Advertising Acceptance Policy Careers Internships Support Local Business News Tips Submitting letters to the editor Podcasts Newsletters Mobile Apps Facebook X Instagram LinkedIn Threads YouTube Reddit Flipboard 10Best USAT Wine Club Online Sports Betting Online Casino Reviewed Best- selling Booklist Southern Kitchen Jobs Sports Betting Sports Weekly Studio Gannett Classifieds Homefront Home Internet Blueprint Auto Insurance Pet Insurance Travel Insurance Credit Cards Banking Personal Loans LLC Formation Payroll Software © 2024 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC.
Joe Biden takes a knee after spotting an American flag near his childhood home in Pennsylvania