President Joe Biden is once again generating controversy. This time, he suggested that his uncle, who died because his plane was shot down in combat in World War II, was eaten by cannibals in New Guinea:
They shot him down in New Guinea and never found the body because there used to be a lot of cannibals, for real, in that part of New Guinea.
Biden paid tribute to his uncle, 2nd Lt. Ambrose J. Finnegan, in a speech at a campaign event in Pittsburgh, after visiting a war memorial. However, the president's version of how he died is different from official records.
The Defense Accounting Agency (POW/MIA) states that the plane Finnegan was on was headed to New Guinea when it was "forced to ditch in the ocean ... for unknown reasons." Three crew members died instantly, while one survived and was rescued by a nearby boat.
The White House issues correction
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed the version from official records and stated that Finnegan "lost his life when the military plane he was traveling in crashed in the Pacific after taking off near New Guinea." To clear up the situation, she said that it had been "incredibly emotional and important" for Biden to be able to honor his uncle.
You saw him respond to all of you when asked about the moment, yesterday, and his uncle who lost his life when the military aircraft he was on crashed in the Pacific after taking off near in New Guinea. The President highlighted his uncle’s story as he made the case for honoring our sacred commitment to — to equip those we send to war and to take care of them and their families when they come home.
Press Gaggle by Press Secre... by Veronica Silveri
Biden's lapses with his family: His son Beau
This is not the first time Biden has incorrectly stated how one of his family members died. A while ago, he claimed that his late son Beau "lost his life in Iraq." During a speech in Colorado to designate Camp Hale as a national memorial, the president used his son as an example of the sacrifices soldiers have made:
Just imagine — and I mean this sincerely. I say this as a father of a man who won the Bronze Star, the Conspicuous Service Medal, and lost his life in Iraq. Imagine the courage, the daring, and the genuine sacrifice — genuine sacrifice they all made.
President @JoeBiden incorrectly said his late son Beau "lost his life in Iraq." https://t.co/oZ9GRyRjcI pic.twitter.com/8OvjbQgUaT
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 12, 2022
Although Joe Biden's son served in Iraq, he did not die there. Instead, he died of brain cancer in 2015. Joseph Beau Biden III, Iraq War veteran and former Delaware attorney general, died at the age of 46 after battling cancer for several years.
Papua New Guinea's prime minister responds to Biden
President Joe Biden's comments about alleged cannibalism in New Guinea did not go unnoticed. On Sunday, James Marape, prime minister of Papua New Guinea, responded to Joe Biden and dismissed his words.
Biden "appeared to imply his uncle was eaten by cannibals after his plane was shot down over PNG during WWII," Marape's office said in a statement. "President Biden's remarks may have been a slip of the tongue; however, my country does not deserve to be labelled as such," it added.
