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The discrepancy has led to an uproar, compelling Psaki to announce that future prints of her book will exclude the contested description. Her initial attempt to defend the narrative, accusing critics of spreading misinformation to tarnish the president’s image, has only fueled the controversy.
USA Today’s fact-check explicitly noted, “While Biden did pay his respects to the fallen service members, photos and video show he also checked his watch during the ceremony.” The fact-check further clarified that this occurred at least three times, contradicting Psaki’s version of events. Additionally, she incorrectly cited a Washington Post article in her book when the actual source was a USA Today story, further muddying the factual waters.
Following silence on the issue, Psaki later engaged with Axios, acknowledging that the specific details regarding the frequency of Biden’s glances at his watch during the event would be removed from subsequent editions of her book and the ebook version. She explained that her broader narrative aimed to highlight the challenges of conveying uncomfortable truths, using her interaction with Biden about his perceived insensitivity as an example.
The situation was particularly poignant when Biden met with the families of the deceased soldiers. He shared his personal loss—his son Beau Biden’s death to brain cancer in 2015 after serving in Iraq—which did not resonate well with all the attendees. Fox News reported an intense exchange between Biden and Shana Chappell, mother of Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, one of the servicemen killed in the Kabul attack. Chappell’s Facebook post vividly expressed her grief and frustration: “[I] watched you disrespect us all 5 different times by checking your watch!!! What the f*** was so important that you had to keep looking at your watch????”
ALERT! Major Water Restrictions In Effect!
In conclusion, the veracity of Biden’s actions during the ceremony, as confirmed by Snopes, remains tagged as “True,” indicating that he checked his watch at least twice during the ceremony. This episode has highlighted the delicate balance of narrative and factual integrity in political memoirs, casting a spotlight on the responsibilities of public figures in recounting historical events accurately.
