Military Recognizes Biden as President
The Claim
The U.S. military doesn’t acknowledge that Joe Biden is president.
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Emerging story
Now that Biden has been inaugurated, plenty of conspiracy theories have risen up, especially amongst QAnon followers. One such claim asserts that the military doesn’t acknowledge Biden as president. It’s hard to determine where this claim comes from, but the first instance we found is a screenshot of a post on 4chan.
Misbar’s Analysis
This claim is incorrect for several reasons. First, Biden did receive a 21-gun salute. While he might not have during his inauguration, he received one at Arlington Cemetery.
Second, the National Guard doesn’t have to face the president at all times. In this case, they may have been protecting the president from any threats, just as they did during Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Third, while Biden did face some hiccups in getting access to top-secret intelligence at firsts, top officials at the Pentagon claimed that these allegations were overblown. They blamed it on COVID-19 restrictions, a delay of election certification, and so on.
It’s true that Biden didn’t take Air Force 1 to his inauguration, and it’s unknown why. However, he can travel however he wants, and there’s no reason to make assumptions based on the president’s mode of travel.
The transition of the nuclear football – which allows the president to unleash the nation’s nuclear arsenal at a moment’s notice – is a complex matter. Trump is the first president in the nuclear age to not attend an inauguration, which led to an unusual transition. The nuclear football is also held by a military aide, not the president, as it weighs almost 50 pounds.
Misbar finds that this claim is false.
