Fact Check: Did Joe Biden spend 26 days at Walter Reed in 2024?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the speculations surrounding President Donald Trump’s health, following his recent visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that former President Joe Biden spent some days at the same medical center.
Let us analyse and fact-check the viral claim.
Claim: Joe Biden spent 26 days at Walter Reed
According to the viral claim, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reveals that Biden spent 26 days at Walter Reed in 2024, implying that he was absent for a long period of time during his final year as the president, sparking criticisms.
The claim has spread on several social media platforms such as Facebook, X, and Threads, garnering hundreds of thousands of views, triggering questions about who was running the administration during the unusually long period of time.
Fact Check: The claim originated as a satire
However, there is no such report by the FOIA that says that Biden spent 26 days at Walter Reed.
A search on Google for the claim yielded no credible results by any prominent news media outlets about the claim, which, if true, would have been widely reported, making headlines.
Moreover, the claim was posted on a Facebook parody account called ‘America’s Last Line of Defense’ which describes itself in the bio as, ‘Nothing on this page is real,’ hence the claim was intended as a satire, made for the sake of engagement.
Donald Trump's Walter Reed visit sparks renewed scrutiny over his health
The claim surfaced after Trump recently spent three hours at Walter Reed's, amid the concerns surrounding his health after images showed ankle swelling, hand bruises, and neck redness.
After spending part of Tuesday, May 26, undergoing testing, Trump declared that his latest medical evaluation went flawlessly, brushing aside months of renewed speculation surrounding his health and physical condition.
After completing the examination, Trump projected confidence about the results, without offering additional medical details.
"Just finished my 6-month physical at Walter Reed Military Medical Center. Everything checked out PERFECTLY. Thank you to the great Doctors and Staff! Heading back to the White House," Trump said.
The visit comes as scrutiny surrounding the president’s age and appearance has intensified ahead of his 80th birthday next month, with recent photographs and public appearances sparking fresh debates.
