Twitter and numerous other social media platforms have failed to curb the spread of a deceptively edited clip of President Joe Biden. The clip, which was posted by the Republican National Committee on Twitter, suggested that Biden claimed to have “sold a lot of state secrets and a lot of very important things.” Right-wing media, extremist figures, and other right-wing users have shared the misleading video across both mainstream and fringe platforms.

On June 23, Biden opened a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the CEOs of Apple, Google, and Microsoft, joking that “I started off without you, and I sold a lot of state secrets and a lot of very important things that we shared.” Biden followed up that he was kidding: “Now all kidding aside, look, we’re teaming up to design and develop new technologies that are going to transform the lives of our people around the world.” 

On June 26, the Republican National Committee tweeted a 14-second clip of Biden that ended before his comment that he was kidding. This original tweet from the RNC account has nearly 10 million views.

Shortly after, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) shared the RNC’s clip to her Twitter account (and later her Facebook page), claiming that “Joe Biden’s brain is going and he’s literally admitting his crimes out loud. Impeach Biden! It’s unreal and so insulting to America.” Greene’s tweet with the edited clip has at least 9 million views.

Media Matters found that the clip has since been shared across social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, despite it being deceptively edited to lack critical context which should fall under platforms’ manipulated media policies. It has also been amplified on fringe social media platforms such as Rumble, Gab, Telegram, and pro-Trump message boards. 

Twitter’s inadequate policy enforcement allowed right wing media figures to amplify the edited clip across the platform

Since Elon Musk has taken over the platform, numerous content moderation policies have been revoked, safety teams have been fired, and Musk has reinstated dozens of previously banned accounts. But Twitter, which is where the clip was first shared by the RNC, still has a synthetic and manipulated media policy that claims to prohibit sharing “synthetic, manipulated, or out-of-context media that may deceive or confuse people.” The platform also says that it “may label Tweets containing misleading media to help people understand their authenticity and to provide additional context.”

Despite the company’s plainly clear manipulated media policy, the only action taken on the original RNC video was the addition of a user-produced “Community Note” to the tweet — and it took at least 3 hours for this note to be added. 

Right-wing figures have also been allowed to continue sharing and amplifying the deceptively edited video:

• Failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake: “Joe Biden admitted to actual treason. “I sold a lot of state secrets and a lot of very important things”” [Twitter, 6/26/23] 
• Newsmax’s Benny Johnson tweeted, “Joe Biden seems to say ‘I sold a lot state secrets and a lot of very important things’ What?” He went on to say that “Democrats are in a moral panic over leaked audio from Trump talking about classified documents. Meanwhile, Joe Biden literally admitted to SELLING STATE SECRETS and they laugh like it’s a joke.” [Twitter, 6/26/23, 6/27/23]
• Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis: “The dementia is letting the truth slip out 😬” [Twitter, 6/26/23] 
• Far-right blog Breitbart News: “In a joke that surely no one will read into, President Joe Biden quipped about selling ‘a lot of state secrets’ before the start of a White House livestream with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other participants.” [Twitter, 6/27/23]
• Right-wing personality Juanita Broaddrick: “Holy shit!! This idiot just said he sold State Secrets.” [Twitter, 6/26/23]
• Right-wing podcast Bongino Report: “Wait... what?! Why would he say this? Was it a joke? What is Joe Biden thinking?” [Twitter, 6/26/23]
• Fox host Sean Hannity: “Why would he ever make this joke?!” [Twitter, 6/27/23]
• Right-wing media outlet Real America’s Voice: “Was it a gaffe, a joke, the truth? Biden said he ‘sold a lot of state secrets’ during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi last week.” [Twitter, 6/27/23]
• Right-wing media outlet The Post Millennial: “Biden joked that he ‘sold a lot of state secrets’ amid the alleged Ukrainian bribery scandal” [Twitter, 6/27/23]
• Co-owner of conservative site Trending Politics Collin Rugg: “NEW: Just one week after a whistleblower claimed Biden’s DOJ interfered in an investigation into Hunter Biden where he threatening a Chinese official to send money because his father was in the room, Biden ‘jokes’ about selling state secrets”. [Twitter, 6/26/23]
• Conservative radio host and former Rush Limbaugh producer Bo Snerdley: “'Untouchable' Biden jokes at meeting with PM: 'I sold a lot of state secrets, a lot of very important things'” [Twitter, 6/27/23]

Users on Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube have amplified the clip and right-wing commentary 

The deceptively edited clip, and specifically Greene’s tweet and Facebook post, have also spread across various social media platforms, with users adopting framing from Greene and other right wing figures and suggesting that Biden “admitted the quiet part out loud,” calling the clip “treason,” and calling for Biden to be impeached. 

Facebook has allowed Greene’s post containing the clip to earn over 1.2 million views and be shared over 33,000 times, including within Facebook groups — at least in part because the platform has an inadequate policy around manipulated media that states that it does not include content that is “is edited to omit words that were said or change the order of words that were said.”

Users have also shared the deceptively edited clip to TikTok, which also has policies seemingly prohibiting content that’s edited in a way that might “mislead a person about real-world events.” Yet one post, in which the creator thanks Biden for “vindicating” them and calls this “another conspiracy theory to check off the list,” has earned over 50,000 likes and been shared over 10,000 times. Another, simply sharing the misleadingly cut clip, has earned over 20,000 likes and been shared over 9,000 times. 

Media Matters has also identified at least 6 videos containing or referencing the edited clip on YouTube. These six videos have each earned over 15,000 views, with one earning over 420,000 — at least in part because the platform does not appear to have policies against sharing misleading out of context content.

Right-wing media and far-right extremists have shared the clip on fringe platforms, including on Rumble

Several right-wing media outlets and far-right figures have amplified the clip on Rumble, the right-wing YouTube alternative known for allowing toxic and harmful content to thrive.

• Right-wing media outlet The Post Millennial Live: “Joe Biden jokes about having 'sold a lot of state secrets'” [Rumble, 6/26/23] 
• Right-wing podcast Bongino Report, in a post which made it onto the Rumble Leaderboard: “Room gets uncomfortable when Biden talks about selling “state secrets”” [Rumble, 6/26/23] 
• Fox host Sean Hannity: “NOT FUNNY, JOE! Biden Jokes About Selling State Secrets in Resurfaced Video [WATCH]” [Rumble, 6/27/23]
• Far-right outlet The Gateway Pundit: “Joe Biden to Indian PM: ‘I Sold a Lot of State Secrets and a Lot of Very Important Things’” [Rumble, 6/26/23]
• Right-wing outlet Real Americas Voice: “Biden says he ‘sold a lot of state secrets’ during meeting with Indian PM Modi” [Rumble, 6/27/23] 
• Right-wing site Resist the Mainstream: “Biden Goes Viral With Latest Blunder About State Secrets” [Rumble, 6/27/23]
• Far-right site TheLibertyDaily: “WTAF?!! - Joe Biden: ‘I Sold a Lot of State Secrets and a Lot of Very Important Things…’” [Rumble, 6/26/23]

Other Rumble users also shared and commented on the misleading clip. 

Users on far-right message boards also amplified the clip, quoting him saying that he “sold a lot state secrets and a lot of very important things.” On TheDonald, a user shared the RNC Research tweet and other users replied that “Dementia patients often reveal secrets they've kept deep in their closets for years” and that Biden “has revealed a number of secrets out loud while everyone ignores it.” On another far-right message board, GreatAwakening.win, Greene’s tweet of the clip was also shared, with one user replying that this was a failed attempt at a joke in which Biden “slips and admits too much.” Similarly, on the r/conspiracy subreddit, a user shared Johnson’s tweet and said, “Joe Biden cries for help by confessing on international television? Is he being held hostage by his handlers?”

Far-right extremists, and other right-wing users also shared the clip on Gab and Telegram, claiming that it was proof of Biden “committing HIGH TREASON” and that he has “cognitively declined”: 

• QAnon influencer QAnon John: “Some things you just have to see, or hear to BELIEVE… Joe Biden pResident of the US, just said ON RECORD in a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi ‘I sold a lot of state secrets and a lot of important things we shared’. That’s right, Senile Joe just ADMITTED to committing HIGH TREASON on camera, and it’s even been recorded in the official WH manuscript. Such brazen levels of CORRUPTION have NEVER been seen before, senile or not. Biden & his crackhead son belong in Guantanamo Bay!!!” [Gab, 6/26/23]
• QAnon influencer Neon Revolt: “‘I sold a lot state secrets and a lot of very important things.’ -PedoJoe” [Gab, 6/26/23]
• QAnon influencer Jordan Sather: “WHOOOPS - Biden with the worst Freudian slip he's had to date ‘I sold a lot of state secrets and a lot of very important things…’ The Deep State is completely regretting their choice for president right now” [Gab, 6/26/23]
• Far-right media personality Stew Peters: “Biden has cognitively declined so much he’s now publicly admitting to selling state secrets.” [Telegram, 6/27/23]