During a visit to his hometown in Scranton, Pennsylvania, President Joe Biden shared a family story about his uncle, Lt. Ambrose Finnegan, who died in World War II. Biden touched his uncle’s name on a war memorial, indicating that his plane had crashed in New Guinea. However, Biden added that his uncle was supposedly devoured by cannibals in New Guinea, a detail that official documents do not support. The official agency for American prisoners of war and missing persons indicates that Lt. Ambrose Finnegan’s plane “crashed at sea” off the coast of New Guinea.
The Republican opposition seized on Biden’s misrepresentation of his uncle’s death, using it as evidence of the president’s alleged cognitive decline. They mocked Biden’s extravagant digression and highlighted the discrepancy between his story and official records. However, the White House defended Biden, stating that the president was simply trying to honor soldiers and veterans by sharing his uncle’s story.
In the face of criticism, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre clarified that Biden’s uncle did indeed die in a plane crash at sea, not as a result of cannibals as Biden had suggested. Despite the factual inaccuracies in Biden’s storytelling, the spokesperson emphasized the emotional significance of the moment for the president. Biden’s reflection on his uncle’s sacrifice was intended to show his support for veterans and contrast his approach with that of his predecessor, Donald Trump, who allegedly denigrated soldiers who died in combat.
In the end, Biden’s family story may have been embellished, but its underlying message of honoring the sacrifices of soldiers and veterans remains intact. While the president’s critics may seize on this incident to question his mental acuity, his intentions in sharing the story were rooted in a desire to pay tribute to those who have served their country.