Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Hunter Biden, left, the son of President Joe Biden, holds his son, Beau Biden, and waves to people in the audience during the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, April 18, 2022, in Washington. (AP)
No, Hunter Biden was not arrested on April 19
If Your Time is short
- The latest false claim that Hunter Biden was arrested came on April 19, but like the misinformation that came before it, it’s wrong.
Less than a month after we fact-checked a claim that Hunter Biden had been arrested, we’re back at it. There’s new misinformation that the president’s son is in custody.
"Hunter Biden arrested this morning," reads the title of an hour-long video posted April 19 that doesn't actually provide evidence for the claim, but doubles down on the unfounded allegations. Among them: that leading up to the arrest, Biden had been on trial in Delaware for 10 days.
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
There’s no evidence to support this claim, but plenty of reasons to doubt it.
Featured Fact-check
The arrest of the president’s son would be big, global news, and there’s no credible reports to speak of.
Though the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware is overseeing an investigation into Biden’s business dealings, he hasn’t been charged with a crime, and it strains credulity to think that if he really was on trial in Delaware — and on the brink of being arrested — he would attend the White House Easter egg roll, as he did on April 18.
The president has also not commented on the supposed arrest of his son, and that’s because it didn’t happen.
We rate this post Pants on Fire!
Our Sources
Facebook post, April 19, 2022
PolitiFact, No, Hunter Biden hasn’t been arrested despite persistent online rumors, March 25, 2022
PolitiFact, No, the military didn’t arrest Hunter Biden, Sept. 8, 2021
The New York Times, Hunter Biden Paid Tax Bill, but Broad Federal Investigation Continues, March 16, 2022
New York Post, Hunter Biden, son and wife pop up at White House Easter Egg roll, April 18, 2022
Joe Biden Twitter account, visited April 20, 2022
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
No, Hunter Biden was not arrested on April 19
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.