Biden Did NotTake a Selfie With Empty Shelves
The Claim
A photo depicts Joe Biden taking a selfie in front of empty store shelves.
News posted on
Emerging story
Users on social media are sharing a photo of U.S. President Joe Biden taking a selfie in front of empty store shelves. According to users, the photo was taken recently and was related to the country's infant formula shortage crisis.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the claim and found it to be false. The photo has been edited and digitally manipulated; there are two separate photos that have been cropped and merged.
Photo of the Empty Shelves
The original photo of the empty shelves was published in a BBC article about the recent infant formula shortage in the United States in May 2022. The photo is at the bottom and does not feature President Biden.
Photo Description: Image of the original photo of the empty shelves.
The Origin of Biden's Photo
While the original photo of Biden taking a selfie dates back to March 2022, it was taken during a visit to US military personnel stationed in Poland near the Ukrainian border. Biden tweeted a selfie with the soldiers stationed there on his official Twitter account.
Biden's visit to Poland was intended to discuss the consequences of Russia's war on Ukraine, as well as ways to support Kyiv, the situation of Ukrainian refugees, and the human rights implications of the crisis. The photograph was also published on reputable news websites such as the BBC, as seen below.
U.S Infant Formula Shortage Crisis
Recently, the U.S. has experienced a severe shortage of infant formula, causing concern among Americans. The main cause of this shortage is the closure of Abbott Milk Manufacturing Company's largest plant in the country. This was exacerbated by panic buying and restrictions on infant formula sales imposed by major U.S. pharmacies.
According to Misbar's findings, the photo of Joe Biden that is widely circulated is fabricated.
Translated by Dina Faisal
