Fact Check: Did Joe Biden wander into Amazon rainforest as shown in viral video?

MANAUS, BRAZIL: A short video clip featuring President Joe Biden went viral over the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) which showed the incumbent walking towards the Amazon rainforest after concluding a press conference.

According to Newsweek, the video was captured on Sunday, November 17, when Biden delivered a speech on conservation and the investments in clean energy made by his administration from a section of forest in Manaus, Brazil.

"President Biden became the first sitting US President to visit the Amazon rainforest," the White House announced on X, "where he engaged with local and Indigenous leaders working to conserve and protect this critical ecosystem."

The confusion surrounding the viral clip

A 13-sec clip of the concluding moments of Joe Biden's press conference was circulated on X, which was correctly captioned by the user Pop Base as "Joe Biden becomes the first sitting US President to visit the Amazon Rainforest."

Biden was seen standing at a podium in a loose-fitting blue outdoor shirt and sunglasses at the beginning of the clip. He closes a folder in front of him, gives a wave, and turns to apparently walk into the forest rather than the path visible ahead of him.

Many conservative accounts grabbed the opportunity to troll him over the move, such as End Wokeness, whose caption read, "Did the President of the United States just wander off into the Amazon?"

The statement was echoed by the Republican National Committee's account, RNC Research, which shared the moment captured from a different angle, writing, "Biden, who just authorized Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range missiles, takes no questions and retreats back into the Amazon rainforest."

All the posts went viral, with netizens sharing similar concerns.

The false narrative surrounding the viral clip

According to the fact-checking website Snopes, the description of the clip provided by conservatives on X promotes a false narrative of Biden disappearing into the rainforest.

They labeled the video 'miscaptioned,' stating that Biden had followed a marked pathway that was hidden from view as a result of the fixed camera angle. However, an extended video of the press meeting showed the president and other individuals entering and exiting from the same direction.

The interview was broadcast live by C-SPAN, and an unidentified person was seen appearing from the pathway that Biden later took, before his speech. Biden was seen entering and exiting on the same path, followed by other individuals, including members of the press.