[Viral Photo] Did Joe Biden Really Touch a Child Inappropriately During Recent Trip?

Social media users are spreading a picture that allegedly depicts US President Joe Biden touching a child below the waist in an improper way. However, the image has been digitally manipulated; the original depicts a little child reaching out a T-shirt to the US president, who responds by pointing.

Stew Peters, a far-right radio personality who has previously circulated false material about COVID-19, asked in postings on December 30, 2022, "Is this a photo of Biden fondling a small child's genitalia?" and shared the image to Twitter, Telegram, and Truth Social.

Manipulated Photos of Joe Biden Spread Online

The same image circulated on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites, utilizing altered photographs as part of a false narrative that suggested inappropriate behavior by Joe Biden and was supported by the QAnon conspiracy theory and, in some cases, former president Donald Trump.

But Biden's hands are now in a different position due to picture editing. The version that is going around online, according to a White House spokesman, "is not true."

Unedited versions of the photos are visible in news stories using reverse image searches. Biden is seen pointing to a child's T-shirt in the original photo, which was shot by the Associated Press on October 15, 2021, while he visited the Capitol Child Development Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

The incident was captured on camera by AFP, and a related video from C-SPAN shows that Biden did not inadvertently touch the youngster as some social media posts suggest. The first version of the edited image that AFP discovered was from a Twitter user, who later said in a follow-up post: "I apologise for the manipulated photo I posted. It's right here, folks."

The poster informed AFP through direct message on Twitter that the image was "satire" and a "meme" based on allegations that Biden had sexually handled youngsters in the past. Inaccurate claims that Biden molested former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, kissed a toddler, and groped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have all been refuted by AFP in the past.

Meanwhile, the president's meeting with the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, garnered as much criticism from certain Republican wing members as it did support from Democrats and moderate Republicans. But the visit also provided plenty of fuel for rumors. Biden is known for being "hands-on," whether it is with handshakes, cheek kisses, or embraces that go a bit too long.

Recently, a photograph that went viral on social media seemed to elevate the idea of lending a hand to Ukraine to a whole new level. In a photo that was reportedly shot this week at the White House, Biden may be seen cupping, if not outright grasping, his Ukrainian counterpart's bottom in front of the press during his historic visit to Washington on Wednesday.

Right-wing media figures instantly seized on the photograph and used it to make fun of Zelensky and Biden as they work to persuade Congress to approve tens of billions of dollars in extra aid. But did Biden actually touch Zelensky's behind at a highly visible White House event?

It is true that Zelensky was in the nation's capital on Wednesday, and the two leaders did spend a lot of time together. Almost all of their public interactions were recorded on film and video from various perspectives. Yes, the two engaged in a tight embrace in front of the media, with Biden's hand behind Zelensky's back and largely hidden from the reporters' line of sight in the pool.

But they are the only details in this tale, which is really just the result of some cunning Photoshop work, as per Newsweek. The image's origin was quickly identified after a quick search of official White House social media accounts and reverse image searching: a rear-facing photo shared by first lady Jill Biden of her and her husband standing on either side of Zelensky with their hands clearly in the middle of the president's back.

There are other hints that support the impression that the image has been altered when comparing the two photographs side by side. In addition, Zelensky's sweater had obvious wrinkles in the original shot that were intentionally smoothed out and removed in the modified version, where Biden's hand placement was altered.

Biden Visits Kentucky With McConnell

President Joe Biden and top administration officials will tour the nation to discuss how the economy is benefited by his cooperation with Democrats and Republicans as we begin a new year of split government.

Biden and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell will appear together for the first time on Wednesday in Kentucky, the home state of McConnell, to highlight the almost $1 trillion in infrastructure investment that was passed by Congress on a bipartisan basis in 2021.

When the Democratic president travels to the Kentucky side of the Cincinnati region, he will be accompanied by a bipartisan group of political figures, including Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

Two days before to Republicans retaking control of the House from Democrats on Tuesday as a result of GOP victories in the November elections, Biden's bipartisanship blitz was launched.

Per Baltimore Sun, the change disrupts Democrats' unified political control of Congress and makes Biden's next legislative agenda more challenging. In the Senate, Democrats will continue to be in command.