Fact Check

Did a Child Yell an Obscenity at Jill Biden?

The visuals of the first lady reading a story are real, but the audio ...?

Published Nov. 30, 2021

 (C-Span)
Image Via C-Span
Claim:
A child yelled "shut the fuck" up at first lady Jill Biden as she read a story during a Christmas celebration.

At the end of November 2021, a video went viral on social media that supposedly showed a child yelling "shut the f*ck up" at first lady Jill Biden as she read a story during a holiday celebration.

But the audio in this video has been altered. A child did not scream obscenities at Biden.

The above-displayed video was created by taking the audio from an unrelated video and playing it over the video of Biden. The original audio comes from a years-old video of a child yelling at a teacher.

The audio in the Biden viral video is doctored, but the visuals are real. She really did read a story to a group of children after she unveiled the Christmas decorations at the White House. According to ABC News, Biden read a book she wrote in 2012 called "Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops."

The kids sported masks and wrist bands to indicate they have been COVID-19 tested, and the first lady read her 2012 children's book, "Don't Forget, God Bless our Troops." PBS Kids held a holiday puppet show to mark the festive occasion, and the children appeared starstruck at a performance by the Kraft Brothers.

While the children did not yell any obscenities at the first lady, there was at least one somewhat awkward moment when one of the children told Biden about his deceased hamster.

The Independent reported:

Sitting in front of a huge, richly decorated Christmas tree in the State Dining Room, she paused to ask the children how much money they got from the tooth fairy and whether they had any pets.

One boy answered "I have one!" and then elaborated: "We used to have, like, hamsters and hedgehogs, but one went under the cage door and then suffocated."

Dr Biden responded: "Oh my word! Okay, let’s move on to happier things." She then rapidly took up her book again.

Here's a genuine video of Biden reading this story during this White House event. Biden first appears around the 30-minute mark.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?516345-1/lady-remarks-white-house-holiday-decoration-volunteers

Sources

Boy Regales Jill Biden with Awkward Story about His Dead Hamster: ‘Let’s Move on to Happier Things.’ https://news.yahoo.com/boy-regales-jill-biden-awkward-003312709.html. Accessed 1 Dec. 2021.

“First Lady Jill Biden Unveils White House Holiday Decorations.” ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/lady-jill-biden-unveils-white-house-holiday-decorations/story?id=81446110. Accessed 1 Dec. 2021.

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.