FACT CHECK: Did Biden Say 'I Came Into the US Senate 120 Years Ago' in His First News Conference?

Biden said: "With regard to the filibuster, I believe we should go back to the position of the filibuster that existed just when I came to the United States Senate 120 years ago."

Long before Joe Biden became the President of the United States, his critics, especially Donald Trump's supporters, have raised question about his cognitive ability and health. Questions about his declining health were raised once again last week when tripped thrice while climbing the stairs of Air Force One. And now several people are trying to find out if Biden on Thursday while answering questions during his first news conference said that he became a US Senator 120 years ago.

Since then, many social media users have been trying to ascertain if Biden really said this or if he really said this, was it a slip? In fact, many social media also got a chance to once again doubt Biden's cognitive ability after this.

Biden Does it Again

Joe Biden
Joe Biden during Thursday's news conference Twitter

On Thursday, Biden was answering questions during his first news conference at the White House. During the course of the questions and answers, Biden answered several questions about his stance on changing the filibuster. The filibuster has been a hot topic among progressives in the Senate, who have deemed the tradition racist.

While answering questions, Biden at times seemed to also be joking. To one of the questions about changing the filibuster, Biden said that he wanted to see the filibuster return to the way it was when he first became a senator. Biden said: "With regard to the filibuster, I believe we should go back to the position of the filibuster that existed just when I came to the United States Senate..."

What He Actually Said and Meant

However, that is not where Biden stooped, which gave people, those who heard his press conference, the chance to make wild guesses. Those who didn't watch the press conference took to social media and started asking if Biden really said he became a US senator 120 while answering the questions.

But to everyone's surprise Biden did actually say he became a senator 120 years ago. Biden actually said: "With regard to the filibuster, I believe we should go back to the position of the filibuster that existed just when I came to the United States Senate 120 years ago."

However, it was unclear if he misspoke or was simply making a joke. This raised quite a few eyebrows and turned some heads on social media, with Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., quoting the president's quip and saying Biden was almost right and blasted him for having "nothing to show" for his time in the Senate.

Since then Biden's comments have become a subject of jokes online, while many are still in disbelief if he really said those words. Comedian Tim Young made his own quip, saying, "Wait so you're telling me that Joe Biden WASN'T in the Senate 120 years ago?"

Regardless, Biden is the oldest president in U.S. history, clocking in at 78 years old when first taking office in January but even then 120 years is completely absurd and even if it was a joke, he disappointed many as the questions were quite serious.

Twitter
Twitter
READ MORE