Politifact has ruled

In a late comic coda to President Biden’s remarks at North Carolina A & T last week — see posts here (April 15) and here (April 18) — Politifact has ruled. Joe Biden was gesturing toward his audience, not shaking hands with thin air. Statements to the contrary are “false.”

I learned something from Politifact’s comments: “Facebook flagged the post [of radio station WDBO] and others like it on its platform in an effort to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)”

Politifact enters the equivalent of summary judgment: “We took a look at those clips and the full videos of Biden’s speech. They don’t add up to the claim that he was trying to shake hands with thin air — different angles show that he was gesturing toward onlookers behind him.”

Although the White House offered Politifact no comment in time for publication, the issue, such as it is, is not deemed subject to differing opinions. Why bother asking the White House about it?

Query: Have you ever seen Biden “gesture” toward anybody in the motion of shaking hands? Answer: There’s a first time for everything.

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