Biden's Travel Claims Under Scrutiny at Cancer Initiative Event
- President Biden restated a disproven assertion about traveling 17,000 miles with China's Xi Jinping.
- The claim had been fact-checked before and found to be incorrect.
- The news raises questions about the accuracy of Biden's statements.
President Joe Biden reiterated a controversial claim regarding his travels with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a speech in New Orleans on Tuesday. He stated that he has traveled over 17,000 miles with Xi and spent more than 80 hours in direct conversation with him. This assertion was made while promoting the Biden "Cancer Moonshot" initiative, where he emphasized the theme of "possibility" as a defining characteristic of America. However, Biden's claim has faced significant scrutiny in the past. The Washington Post fact-checked the statement in 2021, concluding that the travel figures did not substantiate the 17,000-mile claim. The publication awarded Biden three "Pinocchios," indicating a substantial factual error and labeling the statement as "mostly false." Despite this, Biden has continued to make the claim over the years without addressing the discrepancies. At the New Orleans event, Biden also announced $150 million in funding through ARPA-H aimed at advancing surgical technologies for cancer treatment. This initiative reflects his personal commitment to cancer research, especially following his recent decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. As Biden focuses on issues close to his heart in the final months of his presidency, cancer research remains a priority, underscoring the administration's ongoing efforts to combat the disease. An aide noted the immense importance of this cause to the president, highlighting his dedication to improving outcomes for cancer patients.