Partisan pundits generally seek to make their political opponents look bad, sometimes by presenting statements, videos or images out of context. This common tactic underscores the importance of tracking down original sources when evaluating claims such as these. In this case, tracing this clip back to its original source by searching the web for “Biden Hawaii” reveals that this brief and blurry viral video was clipped out of context and misrepresents what actually happened.

This false claim is part of a larger narrative about Biden’s age and mental dexterity that has frequently been pushed by critics of the president as well as by purveyors of disinformation. Repeated exposure to these falsehoods can lead people to feel that there is more truth to them than there really is, a phenomenon called the illusory truth effect. This effect can be particularly pernicious when it affirms strong political beliefs and biases. Remember, following trustworthy and standard-based news outlets on social media is a great way to increase the credibility of your feed.